Luke, disguised as Clear Sky, sat on a bench by the side of the Ceremonial Avenue in the Central City District.
A street lamp beside him illuminated the area brightly.
Behind the bench was a small park with traces of camping left on the neatly trimmed lawn. Across the road stood an opera house, its posters displayed outside, with faint singing emanating from within.
The distant singing added to the quietness of the city.
After a while, a group of young boys and girls in Olu Academy uniforms walked over. They stopped near the bench, waiting for the academy bus to arrive.
At the same time, they noticed the elf sitting on the bench.
In the bustling city of Storm City, elves were not an uncommon sight. There were quite a few elf professors and scholars in Olu Academy.
But they had never seen an elf with such an ethereal appearance.
A boy who appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old approached.
With a school bag slung over his shoulder, he confidently asked Luke, "Hello, elf... My name is Heidiseko. Are you also waiting for the bus to Olu Academy?"
"Yes," Luke replied, "I'm going to Olu Academy. Are all of you students from the academy?"
The unfamiliar elf's response boosted the boy's confidence, and he looked back at his companions before saying to Luke, "Yes, we are all students of Olu Academy. The weekend went by so quickly, and just thinking about facing Professor Phinix makes my head ache. His magic spell analysis is really difficult."
"Miss Elf, you're not wearing the Olu Academy uniform. Are you a faculty member?"
Heidiseko chatted with the elf, attracting the other students to gather around.
Some speculated about the elf's position at the academy.
"Miss Elf, I noticed you have two curved blades on your waist. I heard that wind dancers, which are elves who use dual blades, are warriors. Are you a combat instructor at the academy?"
"No, these two exquisite curved blades are definitely decorative. Moreover, with such a beautiful appearance, how could you be a rough warrior? You should be an elf druid, wielding the power of nature."
"Elf druids have beast patterns on their faces. I think you must be a mage. Only noble mages can match your beautiful appearance."
...
A group of Olu Academy students swarmed around Luke, their voices overlapping. One girl even reached out to touch Luke's pointed ears.
Luke jumped up and landed lightly outside the crowd.
"It's extremely impolite to touch an elf's ears without permission. I believe your etiquette teacher must have taught you that," Luke said, reprimanding the students. "As for my profession, I am an elf warrior, an elf druid, an elf mage, and an elf archer. At Olu Academy... I am a new magic professor."
Luke invented a new identity for himself.
To establish the credibility of this identity, she extended her right hand, and a lotus flower bloomed layer by layer in her palm.
Releasing an impromptu ice magic trick, the students exclaimed in astonishment.
Feeling her diminished presence, Heidiseko shouted to the students, "Everyone, mind your manners! This is our magic professor... Professor, may we know your name?"
"I am Clear Sky, which means Clear Sky."
The students bowed together and greeted, "Hello, Professor Clear Sky!"
Heidiseko then asked, "Professor Clear Sky, what subject do you teach? Can we attend your classes?"
"I teach..." Luke pondered for a moment and replied, "I'll follow the arrangements made by the academy. Once my class schedule is confirmed, you're welcome to attend."
"That's great!"
Attending the class of a beautiful elf mage was something they would gladly do, even if it wasn't required.
At that moment, a bus stopped by the roadside, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The doors opened, and a solemn-looking, thin man in old-fashioned mage robes stepped out.
"Olu Academy students, put on your school emblems. They represent your honor."
The students quickly checked their uniforms for the school emblem, immediately putting them on if they hadn't already.
They then formed a queue to board the bus.
When it was Luke's turn, the man asked, "Beautiful elf miss, this is the bus to Olu Academy. Students and faculty members can ride for free. If you're a visitor, it'll cost you ten Imperial Marks."
Heidiseko, who had already boarded the bus, shouted, "Mr. Marshel, this is our magic professor, Miss Clear Sky."
The other students chimed in, confirming that Luke was their magic professor.
Luke took out ten Marks and handed them to Marshel, saying, "I'm here this time to complete my formal employment procedures."
With so many students confirming that the elf was an academy magic professor, Marshel didn't doubt it and didn't take Luke's money.
"I apologize, Miss Clear Sky. Please board the bus. Welcome to Olu Academy. If you're single, I believe all the single male faculty members will be even more thrilled to have you."
Marshel, who usually wore a serious expression, even smiled rarely, especially in the presence of the stunning Clear Sky.
Beautiful things always had a way of disarming people.
Furthermore, Olu Academy was not a place where strangers were unwelcome. Openness and inclusivity had always been the school's motto.
The fare of ten Marks was more of a symbolic collection.
"Thank you, Master Marshel," Luke said and boarded the bus.
Heidiseko enthusiastically invited Luke to sit next to him, but Luke chose to sit beside a female student who looked pleasing to the eye.
Marshel closed the bus door and then tapped a bell next to it.
The academy bus started moving without a driver, disappearing on the road after a short distance.
At that moment, a group of Imperial spies rushed over, gasping for breath. They watched helplessly as the Olu Academy bus left the main space.
"Damn it!" Bonal, who failed to stop the bus, cursed in frustration. He then asked his subordinates, "Did you see Clear Sky boarding the bus?"
"Captain, we saw her. She boarded the bus with the Olu Academy students. This is trouble!"
"More than trouble! This powerful assassin who killed so many people in the Cape District, along with the 'heart of the Red Dragon, Niercolone,' running into Olu Academy will undoubtedly lead to a disaster!
Inform the detective, issue an alert to the City Administrative Hall.
Contact the Olu Academy liaison office and have them open the passage to Olu Academy for us.
Quickly, quickly, quickly!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The assigned spies quickly departed to carry out their orders.
The remaining spies watched the direction in which the Olu Academy bus disappeared, worriedly asking Bonal, "Captain, what should we do about Clear Sky?"
Bonal placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"In Olu Academy, many students come from noble families... This time, we can't hold back.
When facing Clear Sky, don't give her time to unleash wide-ranging ice magic.
Charge swiftly, fight fiercely, and we might have a chance to leave Olu Academy alive."
"Yes, Captain!"