When the girl arrived, she looked at Alan and asked, "Is this an apology gift for me?"
Isabella looked at Alan, puzzled.
Alan hadn't expected to see the girl again so soon, but since Isabella was present, he decided not to say much.
The girl, clearly someone who warmed up quickly to others, wasted no time.
Before Alan could respond, she had already drawn a dagger from her belt, sliced off a piece of the roasted rabbit, and placed it into her small cherry lips to savor.
Moments later, she nodded approvingly.
"Not bad. The rabbit's roasted just right—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
The seasoning is great too. But you know, you can't just eat rabbit meat. A balanced diet is important."
Alan stared at her, dumbfounded. He'd planned to give the first bite to his sister!
Not only had this girl helped herself to the meal, but she was now criticizing it!
Just as Alan opened his mouth to speak, the girl had already devoured half of the rabbit. She smiled and declared,
"From now on, you'll handle all the cooking for us. It's decided!"
Huh?
Who decided that?!
Alan immediately objected.
"I came here to study, not to become a chef!"
"Besides, shouldn't Sirius Academy have some kind of support staff to take care of our basic needs so we can focus on studying magic?"
"Ahem." Just as Alan finished, the short elderly man coughed lightly and said,
"There's a lot to learn in life, and cooking is no exception. Also, the academy currently doesn't have the funds to hire support staff.
For now, you'll have to manage on your own. Personally, I think her suggestion is quite reasonable."
Alan and Isabella exchanged a look of speechless disbelief.
They'd already thought the academy was a bit of a scam, but this was beyond their worst expectations!
"Elder, are you really that broke?" Alan couldn't help but ask.
The short old man sighed under Alan's incredulous gaze.
"No students means no funding. No funding means no students. It's a vicious cycle."
As he spoke, he licked his lips and muttered, "I haven't had a drop of tequila in ages."
Alan didn't even know how to respond.
It felt less like attending an academy and more like surviving on a mountain.
What else would they be missing?
"Oh, and by the way, I'm Gayle, the headmaster of Sirius Academy. Feel free to call me that. Our academy values the natural inclinations of its students and upholds a philosophy of free development."
Gayle's tone grew noticeably more serious as he delivered these lines.
Alan, however, couldn't shake the feeling that something about this philosophy was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
At that moment, the girl, still idly twirling her dagger, suddenly looked up at Alan and said,
"Alan, got any more? I'm still hungry."
Alan glanced at the rabbit he'd been roasting earlier. It was now nothing but a bare skeleton, with not a scrap of meat left. Even a dog would shake its head at the sight.
Seeing how hungry the girl seemed, Isabella quickly chimed in.
"Brother brought some other game too. I'll get it and start roasting!"
As Isabella left, Alan took the chance to ask Gayle seriously,
"Headmaster, there's no one else here, right? Do you think Lioncrest Academy might send people after us?"
"Don't worry. With me here, this place is as safe as a fortress!" Gayle thumped his chest confidently. However, his short stature made the gesture look a bit comical.
Alan could sense that Gayle's strength was unfathomable, so he didn't press the issue. Instead, after a moment of thought, he asked,
"Headmaster, since this is an academy, where will we study? And who will be our mentors?"
Gayle blinked and replied,
"I already told you, didn't I? We respect the freedom of our students. That means you study whatever you want, however you want."
Huh?!
Alan's eyes widened in disbelief. Was this really Sirius Academy?
"There's a library in the back mountains with magical notes and skill books left behind by past scholars," the girl interjected.
As she spoke, she ran her pink tongue over her dagger, savoring the lingering taste of roasted meat.
"But what you learn depends entirely on your own fate."
Alan pressed his palm against his forehead and sighed.
"Forget it. Let's eat first and talk later."
With that, he turned and went to find Isabella, wearing an expression of utter resignation.
After Alan left, the girl spun her dagger in an elegant flourish and asked,
"Where did you find him?"
Gayle grinned proudly.
"A peerless talent, recruited straight from Lioncrest Academy!"
"Oh?" The girl scrutinized him seriously.
"Then why does he seem to lack a mana core? How can you call that a peerless talent?"
"It's better not to involve him in the life-and-death struggle between the two academies. I alone am enough," she said firmly.
Gayle looked at her for a moment and sighed.
"Blanche, I've seen your efforts over the years. You've worked so hard, too hard."
Blanche's expression remained calm.
"This is my responsibility. No one else needs to bear it."
As she spoke, she gazed in the direction of Lioncrest Academy.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though she could see the bodies hanging below the Sky Ladder—her brother, her father, and many of Sirius Academy's greatest talents and predecessors.
Though they were dead, fragments of their will still lingered.
They were still watching over Sirius Academy.
Until the day Lioncrest Academy was defeated and their remains were brought home, they could not rest in peace.
Gayle's expression grew heavy.
"But you're the last heir of your family."
"Which is why I have no other choice. This is the path I'm destined to walk." Blanche's long lashes fluttered slightly, her gaze unwavering and filled with determination.
Gayle sighed deeply.
"As much as I hate to admit it, Lioncrest Academy surpasses us in every way now. Of all our graduates, perhaps only Duke Alice could rival their top talents."
"How will we know if we don't try?" Blanche replied with a faint smile.
"If I fail, I'll simply reunite with my father and brother. That's all."
With that, Blanche turned and left the hall.
Gayle stood silently, watching her retreating figure like a statue.
Time passed quickly, and night soon fell.
After ensuring Isabella was sound asleep, Alan delved into his training.
Feeling the abundance of mind power flowing through him, he asked curiously,
"Senior, am I considered a grand magus now?"
"Almost," replied the robed woman.
"Your soul tier is sufficient, and your elemental control is excellent.
But your current rank is still Iron Tier Level 10, which is holding you back.
Once you break through, you'll naturally become a true grand magus."
Alan nodded slowly.
Previously, when facing Tier-Bronze mid-level prodigies like Wilson and Caesar, he'd felt little pressure.
Even then, he'd suspected that his strength had grown significantly without him realizing it.
Now, he only lacked the breakthrough to a higher tier.
"Senior, I recently comprehended [Blade Spirit]. How should I cultivate it further?"
The robed woman gave him a once-over and said,
"Your situation is unique. Most people achieve their 'stance' through rigorous practice and serendipity, but you've skipped that process entirely.
"Though you can wield [Blade Spirit], it's still too shallow. At the very least, you'll need to reach Alice's level, where she can mold her 'stance' into any form at will.
Only then will you have truly mastered it, and [Blade Spirit] can unleash its full potential."
"Your next step is to make up for that skipped process. Also, you need to start searching for a staff immediately."
A staff?
Hearing this, Alan's expression grew serious.
Finding a suitable staff would be no easy task.
If he bought one, Tier-Bronze staves would be too fragile, while Tier-Gold staves would be ideal—but prohibitively expensive.
The staff was a major issue.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Alan began his training.
In addition to practicing meditation techniques, he also started honing his swordsmanship.
With the boost from [Blade Spirit], even the simplest sword techniques could unleash terrifying power.
After absorbing the elemental energy from the light array, his mastery of the Light Sword Spell had deepened significantly.
The next morning, Alan left the valley.
Gayle informed him that Alice was waiting for him outside.
Descending the mountain, Alan quickly spotted a woman standing beneath a large tree.
Alice!
She had changed into a long dress, softening her usually sharp demeanor with a touch of gentleness.