NOVPUBWhen the massive oak door was gently pushed open, the deep golden door knocker emitted a faint creaking sound.
The room was several hundred square meters in size, the air damp and cool, as if stepping into another world.
Various exotic plants entwisted along the walls, filled with lush greenery. Among the vines, dozens of softly glowing magic lamps hung, casting their soft and dim light into every corner of the space.
Lanci and Zestira peered into the depths of the room, just as the Beast Breeding Department had said, they could see many magical beasts.
Apart from numerous sealed jars, tools, and ingredients piled on the side of the room, there were also mountains of licorice and floral leaves.
In the distance, the diverse magical beasts were not confined by cages or chains. They merely resided quietly and freely in the deepest part of the room. Some had soft, noble and elegant fur, some sported feathers like flames, their wingspread akin to fire dancing. Others were covered with thick scales, with sharp horns and claws.
Even the knowledgeable Zestira could not name all these magical beasts at the moment.
The only human in the room was an elderly teacher with a head full of white hair.
He was standing in the middle of the room, hunched over, talking affectionately to a magical beast with icy blue eyes.
The old teacher gently stroked the beast, his gaze filled with profound tenderness.
Though these magical beasts seemed fierce and dangerous, under the old man’s care, they seemed incredibly tame and friendly.
At the door, Zestira’s footsteps were somewhat faltering.
Seeing those colossal and dangerous creatures in the distance, her heart was filled with unease and fear.
For her, a second-order magic user, any of these beasts seemed to be stronger than second-order.
She seemed to shrink back, seeking cover behind Lanci.
Despite always considering her teacher as a weak fighter, at crucial moments, he always seemed so calm and steady, making her unconsciously regard him as a strong pillar of support.
"Oh? Students are already here?"
The teacher noticed the two from a distance.
The old man squinted his eyes, seeing two young students willing to step into this largely forgotten realm, his words contained both gratification and mild surprise.
He gently put down the small magical beast in his hand.
The beast seemed to understand the old man’s movements. It effortlessly leapt down and quietly moved to a corner.
"Welcome to my class, children."
The old teacher slowly approached the two, his voice old and slow, but warm like the mid-autumn sun.
His attitude seemed to comfort Zestira.
She slowly unclenched her tightly held hands and slightly raised her head.
Although there was still fear in her eyes, seeing the teacher in this classroom as a harmless elderly gentleman, she finally let go of some of her apprehension.
An old man who could treat magical beasts this kindly, his heart was like an ancient well, having seen through many things.
Even the magical beasts were carefully nurtured, he no longer bore any hostility towards the Demon Race of today.
"Hello, sir, we would like to take the Beast Breeding Department’s test later," Lanci greeted the old teacher respectfully, and Zestira shook off her stupor to quickly follow suit.
"This is a Level 3 test, are you sure you read it correctly? This young noblewoman appears to be a preparatory student, but if you are a servant and you can complete the examination in her place.
The old man scrutinized the two, guessing their identities from their attire.
"That’s right, we know."
Lanci confirmed.
Although if both were able to pass the examination, they would receive double the credits, noble students were privileged to have their servants complete the examination on their behalf for certain subjects.
Seeing this, the old man nodded, he pondered for a while, and without even checking the time, knew that it was a few minutes before the official start of the examination.
"This test doesn’t require any use of force, so if you are ready, I can explain the rules to you in advance," the old man said as he looked at the two.
On every monthly test day, there weren’t many students willing to come to this classroom to take the examination, especially during the first test period.
So, he generally treated it as if only these two students were taking part.
"We are ready to hear the details," Lanci said, practically acting as Zestira’s representative.
Zestira didn’t mind leaving everything to the teacher to handle it on her behalf.
"You just need to go to the back and find a child you’re interested in, gain their acceptance, play with them, feed them, and finally complete my examination topic before the end of class. Basically, you need to get those children to willingly cooperate with you to complete some tasks,"
The old man’s words were floating lightly, the rules simple and clear.
For beast tamers, this was a very important ability. Although nowadays, this profession was not popular, the powerful large-scale magical beasts were almost extinct, and they were not as portable and controllable as the summons from Magic Cards. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
But in the old man’s view, magical beasts were not only used for fighting, they could also accompany oneself like family, they were all very smart.
But soon, Zestira’s gaze was wavering between these dangerous and unknown creatures, her face showing deep unease.
It sounds simple, but in reality, to get along with powerfull magical beasts in such a short period, was incredibly risky and seemed next to impossible!
The magical beasts seemed to feel her anxiety and fear at this moment. Their eyes became sharp and cautious, more magical beasts around them started to emit warning magic fluctuations, their chests emitting deep roars, echoing like the abyss.
Zestira felt as if she was standing on a prairie about to burst into flames, each heartbeat intensified this hostile and dangerous atmosphere.
"Don’t be afraid, Zestira," Lanci’s voice was low and steady, like an unrippled lake.
In the center of this storm, Lanci’s expression did not change in the slightest, still maintaining that calm and warm smile. His eyes were full of understanding and acceptance, as if he could see through to the gentleness and loneliness hidden behind these creatures.
Subsequently, he walked straight towards the fierce and strong magical beasts, without any caution.
The old teacher was initially concerned and wanted to remind Lanci to be careful, but seeing the young man’s demeanor, he stopped his words that had barely begun.
The examination hadn’t officially started now.
But there were no rules against interacting with magical beasts outside of class hours.
Moreover, for the students willing to come to this classroom to take the examination, he was lenient and hoped that they could pass. As long as there were no safety issues, he didn’t mind letting students interact with the magical beasts.
