The game on the screen came to life. It was straightforward—centered around a short storyline with two characters. These characters were controlled by Amelia and Mikael. The gameplay itself was simple: hide, shoot, and reload, with the objective being to eliminate as many enemies as possible without dying. As they defeated enemies, the storyline progressed, adding small twists to keep them engaged.
And so, they played, fully immersed and laughing along the way. Whenever one of their characters died, they used the coins Mikael had brought to revive them. Time slipped away unnoticed as they focused on beating the game and having fun.
When the game finally ended, Amelia grinned smugly. “I won! My score is 12,430, and yours is 11,976!”
Mikael shook his head, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a true sniper, aren’t you?”
Before Amelia could retort, Lyra cut in, her voice shy yet eager. “Looks like it’s my turn.”
Mikael stood up, gesturing toward his seat. “Go ahead and take my place. After all, I’m the loser here, and it’s only fair for the winner to keep playing.”
Amelia chuckled as she joined the conversation. “Maybe we should find another game similar to this one. We’ve already finished the storyline, though I admit we didn’t exactly play it the ‘proper’ way. I doubt the developers intended for anyone to use more than ten coins on a single run.”
Her words made Mikael and Lyra smile. The trio then wandered to another metallic booth with a different design. This time, the theme was dinosaurs. Intrigued, they decided to give it a try.
Amelia and Lyra played together while Mikael watched. Amelia, unlike before, wasn’t in her competitive mode; she simply focused on having fun with Lyra. By the end, Amelia had accumulated significantly more points than Lyra, but neither cared. The experience was about enjoying the moment.
The trio continued exploring the arcade, moving from game to game. They were so absorbed in their activities that they didn’t notice the hours passing. Before they knew it, the afternoon had transitioned into the late evening.
When their stomachs began to rumble, they decided to grab something to eat. They headed to a restaurant within the Academy grounds, paying with credits. The meal was delicious, and they chatted happily, extending the pleasant mood of their day.
Eventually, their impromptu outing came to an end. They parted ways, each returning to their respective dormitories. Their antics throughout the day had undoubtedly fueled more rumors about Mikael’s relationships with Amelia Mournsky and Lyra Mystoria, as the three had been seen together yet again.
Once Mikael arrived at his room, he wasted no time and dove straight into training. Feeling refreshed and relaxed after spending time with his lovely companions, he pushed himself earnestly, making rapid progress in integrating his new spell with his Wind-Explosive Style.
By the time the next morning arrived, Mikael had made significant strides. He was confident that, with continued effort, he could fully integrate the new technique within two to three days at most. Once complete, his combat power would experience a noticeable leap, especially in terms of movement and attack speed. This new improvement would provide him with a big edge, ensuring that even if he couldn’t defeat an enemy, he would at least have the means to escape even against an overwhelmingly superior opponent.
That morning, Mikael read a message on his bracelet informing him that the mansion was now available. A smile tugged at his lips as he quickly sent a message to Amelia and Lyra. The three agreed to pack their belongings into their storage rings and meet at their new home in 1 hour.
With the plan set, Mikael dismantled the array he had created in the training room. Even though it made his heart ache to undo his work, he knew it was necessary. Leaving it behind was pointless since he was moving, and it could even backfire if it exposed his proficiency in arrays unnecessarily. Afterward, he took a hot shower before casually playing with his phone to pass the time.
When the meeting time approached, he left his dormitory and stepped outside, mingling with other students as he made his way toward their new shared residence.
After a short walk that led him deeper into the residential section, where dormitories and similar buildings were located, Mikael noticed a change in the surroundings. The towering dormitory blocks gave way to rows of individual houses.
As he continued walking, the houses gradually became larger and more luxurious until he reached his destination: a beautiful but relatively small mansion.
Neither Amelia nor Lyra had arrived yet, so Mikael took the opportunity to examine the mansion.
The structure stood with understated elegance, blending modern design with traditional elements. Smooth beige stone walls were complemented by dark wooden accents, and large windows reflected the sunlight, giving it a warm and inviting appearance. The double doors at the entrance were carved with intricate floral patterns, adding a touch of artistry to its facade. A neat garden surrounded the mansion, with trimmed hedges and vibrant flowers lining the cobblestone pathway that led to the door. Despite being modest in size for a mansion, it was perfectly suited for practical living without wasting space on unused rooms.
Satisfied with what he saw, Mikael smiled to himself. While big the house was neither excessively large nor unnecessarily extravagant. It was just right.
After waiting a little longer, Lyra arrived. They chatted briefly about the house before Amelia joined them.
Once the trio was together, they discussed how the constant presence of Shadow and the watchful eyes on them could be both annoying and unnerving, and all three agreed on that.
With this in mind, Amelia called for Shadow, who promptly appeared beside them. A brief conversation followed between Amelia and Shadow, during which Shadow was initially reluctant to leave Amelia without surveillance but eventually relented.
It was decided that Shadow would live in a nearby house and wouldn’t constantly follow Amelia. However, in exchange, Amelia had to inform Shadow whenever she left the mansion so that she could follow her.
Amelia found this arrangement slightly annoying but accepted it, knowing it was the best compromise she could get. In truth, she didn’t particularly mind Shadow’s presence, having already grown used to it. However, she made the request mainly for Mikael and Lyra, who would likely feel uncomfortable being watched at all times.
With that settled, Shadow once again disappeared and the trio decided to explore the interior together. As Mikael approached the double doors at the entrance, they scanned his bracelet and swung open, revealing a breathtaking hall—the kind that would leave anyone unaccustomed to luxury in awe.
However, the three were hardly impressed. Mikael had recently seen many magnificent buildings, and Lyra, as a princess, was used to opulence. Similarly, Amelia, having lived in a grand mansion before attending the Academy, wasn’t fazed either.
They continued their tour, moving through the various rooms. There were two living rooms, one of which was the main, larger one, a spacious kitchen, a dining hall, the central hall they had just entered, and eight bedrooms. Each of these were equipped with a connected bathroom.
In addition to these, the mansion had three more bathrooms spread across the house, as well as practical spaces like offices and a laundry room. As they explored further, they stumbled upon the training room.
It was the largest room in the mansion, measuring 50 meters by 50 meters. The black walls, ceiling, and floors were inscribed with small runic patterns, undoubtedly designed to protect the room from damage.
What caught their attention most, however, was the room's high mana and aura concentration. By focusing slightly, one could see blue particles floating in the air.
“Woah,” Lyra exclaimed in awe. “I didn’t know that a high-rank mana and aura concentration array could create something . It’s incredible—the concentration is so high that we can actually see the mana and aura in the air.” She looked around, clearly enthralled. “It’s truly fascinating,” she added.
Amelia nodded in agreement. “It is impressive, but what amazes me more is how the Academy was able and willing to install such a costly and powerful array in just one day.”
She shook her head and continued, “After all, an array one—capable of doubling training efficiency—is not only extraordinarily expensive to set up but also requires an exceptionally skilled array master. At home, we only have a few arrays of this level because of their insane cost. There’s no way we’d incur such an expense just for students, even if they performed impressively during a mission we issued.”
Lyra tilted her head curiously. “Is it really that expensive?”
Amelia raised an eyebrow. “It’s certainly not a small expense, that’s for sure. But shouldn’t you know this? With your status, this shouldn’t be the first time you’ve seen an array , and you should have some knowledge about it. Coupled with your love for learning, I find it surprising that you don’t.”
Lyra hesitated, looking embarrassed. “Oh… T-that’s because I’m not high in the line of succession for the throne. I don’t have access to extremely expensive resources like a high-rank mana and aura concentration array. And as for my lack of knowledge, it’s simply because I don’t read about things . Economics and politics don’t interest me. I prefer reading about magic, theory, research, and topics like that.”
“I expected better,” Mikael murmured as he stood up, having finished examining the array.
Hearing his words, the girls' attention was drawn to him, and they paused their conversation. Lyra, intrigued by the possibility of learning something new, asked, “What do you mean? Is the array of bad quality?”
He let out a small sigh. “Not really... The array is fine, but I just expected more. Considering how expensive and rare a high-rank mana and aura concentration array supposedly is, I was anticipating something extremely intricate.”
He shook his head. “But no, it’s not that hard to create. The complexity, compared to a mid-rank mana and aura concentration array, is only slightly higher. The real difference lies in the quality of the materials used. They didn’t even incorporate layering, not even a little. So yeah... it’s kind of disappointing in a way.”
Lyra’s interest was piqued by his words. “Could you show me?” she asked, stepping closer to him.
“Sure. Look here—this is the core, and beside it are the runes…” Mikael began explaining, answering Lyra’s enthusiastic questions as she listened intently.
Meanwhile, Amelia watched the scene with a wry smile, finding Lyra’s transformation whenever knowledge was involved both surprising and endearing in its own way.
After explaining a few details to Lyra, Mikael stopped her mid-question. “We should wrap it up for now. We don’t want to make Amelia wait.”
At his words, Lyra’s face flushed slightly, embarrassed by how she had essentially ‘forgotten’ Amelia. She murmured, “Yeah…”
Amelia simply smiled at the exchange. The trio resumed their exploration, which quickly concluded as they arrived at the courtyard—the last area they hadn’t yet visited.
The mansion’s courtyard was a breathtaking expanse of lush greenery. Carefully manicured lawns stretched out in every direction, interspersed with vibrant flowerbeds that added splashes of color. Tall, elegant trees stood at intervals, providing shade and a sense of grandeur. Surrounding the courtyard, 3-meter-tall hedges formed a natural boundary, their dense foliage meticulously trimmed to perfection.
At the heart of this serene oasis was the courtyard’s crowning feature: a luxurious pool. Its crystal-clear waters sparkled under the sunlight, inviting anyone nearby to take a refreshing swim. The pool wasn’t ordinary—it had been magically enhanced to remain usable year-round. Regardless of the season, the water was always comfortably warm, making it particularly enticing even now, as the chill of early October began to settle in.
They admired the scene, and their conversation briefly turned toward the idea of taking a dip in the beautiful pool. However, they soon returned inside, knowing they needed to unpack.
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