On the evening of the fourth day, after Li Yuan had brewed a pot of black tea for Lanqiu as usual, he was about to step aside when the other man called out to him.
“The anniversary celebration starts tomorrow. You should have received an invitation too, right?”
Lanqiu held his teacup, his tone flat.
Li Yuan paused for a moment before nodding. “Yes, a guest gave it to me.”
He didn’t mention Setis’s name, but he assumed this young master probably already knew.
“Then I’ll give you three days off starting tomorrow.”
Lanqiu took a sip of tea, his gaze falling on the street outside the window, where final preparations for tomorrow’s celebration were already underway.
“I’ll be attending as well. Just come back when it’s over. Your salary will still be paid.”
He spoke nonchalantly, as if he were merely stating a perfectly ordinary decision.
Li Yuan felt a surge of joy, but he maintained a proper smile and bowed slightly. “Thank you for your generosity.”
“Mhm.”
Lanqiu gave a short response and stopped talking.
Li Yuan tactfully withdrew to the side, already calculating his plans for the coming days.
Setis had previously asked him to make a guest appearance as a refreshment specialist for her class. Although he wasn't sure exactly what he would be doing, since he had promised, he had to go. Moreover, he was genuinely curious about what the anniversary celebration of the Royal Magic and Martial Arts Academy would be like.
After all, this was the top institution in the kingdom. A grand event held once every five years should not be disappointing. Besides... his memories of academies had grown a bit hazy; it would be good to go back and recapture that feeling.
The next morning, Li Yuan changed into a clean, tidy set of casual clothes, tucked his invitation away, and headed out.
The foot traffic on the streets had increased significantly compared to the previous days. Foreign tourists in various styles of clothing were everywhere, and occasionally, groups of young people clearly recognizable as students walked by, their faces beaming with expectant smiles.
After walking with the crowd for about half an hour, a magnificent archway appeared at the end of his vision. Above the archway, words formed from condensed magic glowed with shifting colors—The 137th Anniversary Celebration of the Royal Magic and Martial Arts Academy.
At the entrance, over a dozen students in uniforms were responsible for reception and guidance. Each wore a special badge on their chest that reflected soft light under the sun.
After Li Yuan presented his invitation, he was warmly welcomed inside by a girl with curly brown hair.
“A foreign guest invitation! You are free to visit anywhere in the academy, except for areas marked ‘No Entry.’ This is a simple map of the academy. The activity areas for each class and club are marked on it.”
As she spoke, the girl handed him a folded piece of parchment.
Li Yuan thanked her, took the map, and unfolded it. It was densely marked with over a hundred activity points—various performances, exhibitions, competitions, and experiential projects that were quite overwhelming.
He scanned it briefly, his eyes finally landing on the area where the Magic Department and the Martial Arts Department met. According to the map, that was the activity zone for second-year students.
Setis was a second-year, so she should be somewhere around there.
Tucking the map away, Li Yuan walked along the main road. The sides of the path were lined with all sorts of stalls—some selling snacks, some displaying magic tools, and some where students were performing live. The surrounding crowds frequently erupted into bursts of applause and cheers.
The entire academy was as lively as if it were holding a massive festival.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, he stopped at a fork in the road. According to the map, to the left was the Magic Department, and to the right was the Martial Arts Department.
He looked around and noticed a student selling juice nearby, so he walked over to ask for directions.
It was a boy with short flaxen hair wearing a third-year badge, busy wiping cups while greeting passersby. Seeing Li Yuan approach, he immediately flashed a professional smile.
“Welcome! Would you like a glass of refreshing magic juice? I guarantee it’ll make you feel a hundred times more energetic.”
“No, thank you. I’d like to ask, which area is Setis Anna’s class in?”
The moment the words left his mouth, the boy’s movements visibly faltered.
He looked up, staring at Li Yuan with an extremely subtle expression, the smile on his face becoming somewhat stiff.
“You mean... the second-year Setis Anna... that Setis?”
Li Yuan looked at him curiously and nodded.
“If there isn’t another second-year with the same name... then it should be her.”
He was somewhat puzzled by the boy’s reaction.
The boy fell silent for two seconds, then took a deep breath and spoke in a tone bordering on admiration. “Are you sure you’re looking for her?”
“Yes, is there a problem?”
“No, no problem.”
The boy shook his head quickly, but the expression on his face clearly screamed “there’s a problem, and it’s a big one.”
He raised his hand and pointed toward the Magic Department, his tone becoming a bit strange.
“Keep going straight down this road. When you see a three-story building with a blue flag, that’s the activity building for the second-year Magic Department. Setis’s class is in the room at the very end of the second floor.”
“Thank you.”
Li Yuan thanked him politely and turned to leave.
After walking a few steps, he vaguely heard the boy whispering to his companion behind him.
“Another one looking for that ‘Tyrant’... he’s got guts.”
“Tell me about it. That fourth-year who tried to ask her out last time was blasted right out by a triple fireball. His clothes were completely incinerated.”
“This guy looks quite refined. He’s probably in for it too.”
Li Yuan’s footsteps faltered slightly.
Tyrant? How could that word be applied to that young girl?
He recalled the way Setis occasionally showed a bit of a temper in the teahouse; it was a far cry from being a tyrant, right? Could there be some misunderstanding?
Thinking this only made him want to see for himself even more.
Continuing forward, Li Yuan confirmed the directions with two more students. Their reactions were identical to the first—initial shock, followed by looking at him as if he were a brave warrior while giving directions, and finally whispering among themselves as soon as he turned away.
After this happened several times, Li Yuan’s curiosity grew heavier and heavier.
Crossing a small path paved with white stone slabs, the three-story building with the blue flag appeared before him. Many students were coming and going from the entrance, some carrying various magic tools and others being visiting tourists.
Li Yuan entered the building and headed up the stairs to the second floor. Most of the classrooms along the corridor had been converted into temporary exhibition halls or experience zones, each with a sign hanging on the door indicating the class and the activity.
He looked as he walked until he finally saw the classroom at the end of the hall.
The door was closed, and a wooden sign hung on it: “Second-Year Magic Department Special Class — Tea and Refreshment Lounge.”
Below that was a line of smaller text: “Invitees Only.”
Li Yuan looked at the text and was about to knock when the door was suddenly pulled open from the inside.
A girl with short red hair poked her head out. She froze for a moment upon seeing Li Yuan, and then her eyes lit up.
“May I ask who you are?”
“Oh, my name is Li Yuan. I believe I was invited.”
“Could you tell me the name of the student who invited you?”
“Setis Anna.”
“Ah! Please come in, please come in!”
The girl gave a startled cry, then stepped aside to let him in, her smile becoming excessively bright.
Li Yuan looked at her exaggerated expression suspiciously but thanked her politely and stepped into the classroom.
Then, he saw a scene that surprised him slightly—
The classroom had been arranged like a small tea party, with several tables pushed together and covered with all sorts of refreshments and drinks. Over a dozen students in second-year uniforms were sitting around the tables, both boys and girls, but without exception, they were all sitting bolt upright with tense expressions, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Setis was sitting at the very back, one hand propping up her chin while the fingers of her other hand tapped rhythmically on the table. A faint, inscrutable smile played on her lips.
Hearing the door open, she looked up, her gaze landing on Li Yuan.
Then, that smile became a bit more genuine.
“You’re here.”
Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the classroom heard her clearly.
Li Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the stiffly seated students. He vaguely understood why those people had reacted that way when he asked for directions.
It seemed the young lady’s reputation in the academy was... a bit more interesting than he had imagined.
“As promised, Miss Setis,” Li Yuan replied with a slight bow and a smile.
Setis stood up and walked toward him. Her expression was unreadable, but the glint of secret joy in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
When she reached him, she lowered her voice and said something quite unexpected.
“You came at just the right time. Do me a favor.”
“What favor?”
Setis glanced back at the students behind her, the corners of her mouth curling upward slightly.
“Help me train a few people.”
Li Yuan followed her gaze and found that those students, who had been sitting so stiffly, were now looking at him with a mixture of sympathy and expectation.
He suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.
Rate on N.U.
