Academy Life (13)

Starlight was still lost in the information he had just received as he silently pulled up a chair and sat down at the dining table.

Moen remembered the strange book she had seen that afternoon, so she took it out of her storage space and handed it to Xia Duo, who was untying her apron, gesturing for her to take a look.

Seeing her sister hand her an old book, Xia Duo opened the title page and began to read without a second thought. Unexpectedly, before she had even finished a single page, she began to experience the same symptoms as Moen.

“Hiss... where did you find this strange book? This feeling... it’s the power of a bloodline seal, isn’t it? But this isn't Dragon Tongue. Could there be other races capable of applying bloodline seals?”

After enduring it for half a minute, Xia Duo finally snapped the book shut and began rubbing her brow incessantly. From the look on her face, she was clearly in significant discomfort.

“It’s not Dragon Tongue? But throughout history, no other race should have ever done something like this... then why doesn't Starlight feel anything?” Moen asked, puzzled.

Xia Duo didn't think there was anything strange about her sister's question. After all, the talent of a Dragon Speaker was completely random; some people might go their entire lives without ever realizing they could understand the language.

Since Starlight already possessed a ridiculous constitution like the Radiant Elemental Body, having one more talent didn't seem like something worth being surprised about.

Furthermore, judging by the title, the book seemed to be nothing more than a travelogue or a collection of miscellaneous essays, with nothing particularly worth investigating.

The only oddity was how this textual bloodline seal had come to be. After all, it contradicted known human history; perhaps it was something left behind by a lost ancient civilization.

After hearing Xia Duo’s explanation, Moen and Starlight set aside their doubts for the time being and began to enjoy dinner.

Although Xia Duo had poured a great deal of effort into tonight’s meal, her culinary skills clearly had significant room for improvement. The dinner she had prepared was truly difficult to compliment.

Most of the dishes on the table looked lifeless—either burnt to a crisp or incredibly bland. The only thing that was halfway decent turned out to be the vegetable salad, which required no cooking at all.

Even Xia Duo herself couldn't help but look embarrassed after taking a few bites.

She had expected the other three to criticize her cooking, but Starlight and Moen were still lost in their own thoughts, seemingly failing to notice anything wrong with the food.

Po Kong, on the other hand, was very supportive, taking large bites and quickly clearing several plates. He even looked like he wanted more after finishing.

“Wait... Po Kong, slow down! I know the food tastes mediocre... you don't have to force it down like that! It makes me feel... sigh!”

Watching Po Kong clear most of the table like a whirlwind only made Xia Duo feel a more complex cocktail of emotions.

She had clearly watched Starlight's cooking process, and she felt like she hadn't done anything wrong, so why was the final product so different?

Could it be that her dishes actually tasted fine and it was just her taste buds that were the problem?

While she was lost in thought, Starlight put down his utensils and began to offer a very blunt critique.

“The meat wasn't marinated long enough, and the heat was too high, making it tough... the vegetables were overcooked... oh, and add more salt to the soup next time. Right now, it tastes like drinking water...”

As Starlight went through his points one by one, Xia Duo could only offer a helpless expression, turning to Moen with a pleading look for help.

But Moen only shook her head, indicating she completely agreed with Starlight and couldn't offer any blind support.

“Alright now, Little Shadow, you’re just a bit out of practice! You still have plenty of room to grow!”

Seeing that the other two weren't giving Xia Duo any face at all, Po Kong chuckled and tried to smooth things over.

However, hearing those words from him only made Xia Duo even more embarrassed.

Watching Xia Duo silently clear the table and slip away from the dining room, Moen gently patted Starlight’s shoulder and asked in a low voice:

“Um... were we a bit too harsh on my sister? I feel like we might have gone a little too far...”

Hearing her voice, Starlight seemed to snap out of his trance. He turned to Moen and blinked, a trace of apology in his eyes.

“Sorry... I was still thinking about what happened earlier and didn't give it much thought. Didn't Xia Duo want us to give her a critique? ...Was I being rude again? I was just telling the truth. After all, you have to identify the problems to improve!”

Moen sighed and shook her head, her eyes full of helplessness.

“Sigh, I know no one meant any harm. I'll go comfort her.”

With that, Moen turned and left the table.

Watching her walk away, Starlight let out a long sigh as a wave of frustration washed over him.

Even though he had fully adapted to life in the outside world, he still felt clumsy when it came to handling complex interpersonal relationships. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bolted when those girls invited him earlier today.

“It seems I still have a lot to learn... but there’s so little time!”

With those thoughts in mind, Starlight returned to his room, washed up briefly, and collapsed onto his bed.

That night, Starlight didn't go to sleep early as he usually did. Instead, after a period of meditation, he began discussing the information he had gathered during the day with Noah.

Although Xia Duo had suggested that his ability to ignore the textual bloodline seal might be an accident, Starlight didn't believe that the documents he had found in Carlos’s room were a mere coincidence.

If possible, he still wanted to uncover the source of those characters. Unfortunately, that secret room had been reduced to rubble in the explosion. Trying to analyze anything based solely on the few pages in his memory was hardly realistic.

Noah suggested he ask Eventador. After all, the man had been a library regular since his youth and might know something about those characters. Starlight thought it was a good idea and began to ponder how he should approach the subject with him.

Furthermore, the news coming from the Crimson City-State left Starlight with a faint sense of unease. This foreboding feeling arose without reason, yet its source remained impossible to pin down.

...

Early the next morning, Starlight left the residence alone. After a brief greeting to Moen, who was immersed in natural elements by the flower field, he hurried to the principal's office.

“Hmm? Little Star, what brings you here so early? Let me guess... is it about what happened in the library yesterday? I didn't think you'd care much about the actions of those children.”

Eventador, still in his pajamas, seemed surprised by Starlight's visit. However, his eyes widened when he saw the old book Starlight handed him.

“Eh? Where did you find this book? I thought the library no longer had any books about them in its collection... Hmm... was it because of the title?”