NOVPUBOn the Saturday morning at the end of February, the imperial city of Herram stirred to life under the thread of cold wind and the first light of dawn. Every corner was bathed in a soft white glow. Despite the biting cold permeating the air, the city’s pulse was already starting to throb.
In the bustling area at the center of the cross-road, magical energy vehicles began weaving their way through the streets like a surge of tide, while traffic lights flickered over the intersection, guiding both vehicles and pedestrians to move in an orderly fashion. People, like countless fine lines, were woven into the cityscape, with street performers showcasing their talents on pedestrian streets to attract locals and tourists alike, and shops and high-rise buildings reflected in the sunlight.
Underground Magical Rail Station entries were dotted every few blocks, the hum of machinery intertwining with the chatter of incoming passengers.
In the south district of the imperial city near the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, a bustling business area was filled with more young faces every weekend.
In the coffee shops housed in the high-rise shopping malls, the sound of coffee beans being ground was accompanied by the sweet aroma of caramel. Inside the room, with frost tracing the window panes, employees in black aprons carefully wiped the windows clean. Many customers were seated at high chairs with a deep brown finish, their hands clutching steaming cups of freshly brewed coffee, enveloped by tendrils of white mist rising from their cups.
On one side of the shop, a low-legged wooden circular table quietly sported two hot drinks and a stack of books.
Two individuals sat opposite each other on single sofas, engrossed in conversation, an island of quiet in the busy environment.
The young man focused on the books on the table, his green eyes intense, periodically providing the girl sitting opposite him with simple explanations. Every time he presented a key point or answered a question, he would seek feedback from the girl to ensure her comprehension.
The girl, with her long dark hair and eyes with vertical pupils, sported an unusual feature: metallic sharp dragon horns. She sat in uniform from the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, listening attentively to the explanations, occasionally nodding in understanding, furrowing her brows in thought or marking her own book with a notation.
Even though she wasn’t particularly fond of the subject matter, she remained committed and focused, respecting the man across from her who she acknowledged as her teacher. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
Their dialogue was not always serious. They occasionally steered the conversation towards lighter topics. Zestira sometimes spoke about school or her own misgivings. Lanci would share his own experiences and offer her advice. This exchange, filled with the sharing of knowledge and anecdotes from their lives, made them appear more like friends than anything else.
Initially, they had agreed to meet on Saturdays with Lanci coming to find Zestira at the Protoss Royal Magic Academy.
However, Lanci informed her that if one constantly stays indoors or only involves themselves in the surrounding activities to their home, they risk becoming an old and moldy hag. He knew a woman like that: old and never managed to get married.
Zestira, who hadn’t given much thought to her own life, decided one thing: she didn’t want to become an old, moldy hag.
So finally, she decided to go out and explore.
The imperial city had a far denser population of Half-Demons than small towns like Lilom City. Walking the streets wasn’t an issue of significance.
The key thing was that Lanci had no issues with spending time around a demon, so she didn’t have an issue with it either.
"How do you find living in the imperial city so far?"
Feeling a little fatigued, Zestira rubbed her temples, changing topics once Lanci had closed his book. She decided to call it a day for studying.
In the academy, she could hardly understand the lessons about magical engineering and the magic family tree. Throughout the lessons, she spent her time browsing her own books, merely accompanying the class in presence.
The only lessons she could understand were Lanci’s lectures on Demon Magic Text.
For the upcoming monthly test, even though she could copy most of Lanci’s answers, she still won’t make through if she completely doesn’t understand some basic knowledge; she might even copy them down wrongly.
"It’s not bad at all. Most of the time, I hardly notice that I’m far away from my homeland."
Lanci also closed his book, realizing that Zestira was probably reaching her limit for the day.
He understood that Zestira’s tone of inquiry was similar to Talia’s approach to putting statements as interrogatives. So, he understood when she was asking a question.
For students at Ichrite Academy who sought him for their extreme breakthroughs and enhancements in their abilities, mostly human, he would usually employ his exclusive Teaching Methods of the Demon Clan to help them. But for demon students like Zestira, who were extremely strict with themselves to the point of discomfort, he could only use a method quite similar to Dean Loren’s method of making learning enjoyable, hoping that she could lead a balanced life of work and leisure.
"In addition to working as my tutor, you must be preparing for other jobs as well, right?"
Noticing Lanci packing up his books, Zestira asked with a hint of relaxation.
She was aware of how generous her father was in paying Lanci’s salary. His income was enough to live comfortably in the imperial city. This young man was oddly adaptive, seemingly capable of blending perfectly into any place within half a day.
However, his talents were far beyond that. He wouldn’t be contented with a mundane life.
"Yes, I’m preparing for the judicial examination. I’m going for it next month."
While arranging books on the table, Lanci replied.
"..."
Zestira fell silent for a while.
She had heard from her father that before this young man had even set foot on the shores of the Northern Continent, he had started studying the recently revised laws on board Viscount Francis’s ship.
At first, she thought he was just trying to understand some elements of the empire’s slightly absurd new revised clauses, but she did not expect him to study the entire thing thoroughly.
Even though most people could only pass the judicial examination quickly through cheating.
However, this young man would probably tell her: why would one need to cheat for something so simple?
"I heard that you actually reported the Grand Priest from the Rebirth Church the day before yesterday."
Picking up her coffee, Zestira took a sip, easing into her question.
She herself only found out about this matter after overhearing her classmates talk about it at the Protoss Royal Magic Academy.
People had been whispering about her since yesterday, saying that her family’s servant had done something, which had left her dazed.
If he did become a lawyer, with the number of reports he had submitted likely to increase in the future, he might soon become well-known in the industry.
"Zestira, it’s our right to use legal means to safeguard our own interests. Within our means, we can also voice out for justice. Zestira, if you ever face any form of bullying or threats at school, don’t be afraid. Report it if the problem arises. The transformation of the empire is happening right now, and anyone who dares cause trouble should be dealt with immediately. As long as you find the opportunity to report, it’d be worth it."
Lanci leaned back on the sofa, speaking passionately, educating Zestira,
"The larger an establishment’s power, the more enemies they have. You just have to create an opening and even without doing anything, someone will step up to confront your enemies. This is called ’the virtuous is aided while the malevolent is left alone’."
"..."
For a moment, Zestira didn’t dare to respond. Her understanding was that "the Virtuous is aided while the malevolent is left alone" probably didn’t mean this.
Furthermore, she couldn’t learn this skill, either as a human or a demon. Only dogs could.
