NOVPUBThunderous applause erupted within the "venue," as the audience cheered for the breathtaking dance and performance. Many were so captivated that they considered purchasing one of the exquisite porcelain pieces displayed in the venue to take home.
The shrine maiden in the water basin bowed in gratitude before gracefully retreating. Under the protection of several staff members, she exited the stage and entered a resting room on the side of the venue.
"It’s over... I really wish I could watch a little longer." Mel was reluctant to leave.
"Performances like this are exhausting. Because every movement is crucial, even a single mistake is unacceptable, so it requires extreme concentration." Hestia understood this well—she had seen recordings of her mother’s past performances stored in her memory chip.
"Are you going to buy one, Hestia? These porcelain pieces are quite useful for storing things," Mel, who was quite familiar with Red Lotus Porcelain Academy, explained.
"Although they look like tiny bottles, they are actually spatial storage artifacts that can hold a large amount of liquid."
"Only liquid? Not solid objects?" The girl was puzzled.
"Yes, because the internal space is randomly shaped and constantly shifting and distorting, only liquids and gases can be stored."
Mel pulled Hestia over to a stall within the venue, where a detailed introduction was displayed.
Even in the interstellar era, spatial storage artifacts remained rare. Even those limited to storing only liquids and gases were expensive.
Hestia glanced at the extravagant seven-digit price tag and shook her head. No wonder this academy’s products weren’t selling in large quantities—the cost was still too high.
However, while the functional magical porcelain was costly, the decorative porcelain pieces were more affordable. Many students bought small trinkets as souvenirs.
"I’ll take this Twin Fish Cup," Mel picked up a semi-transparent cup, its sides delicately painted with two fish chasing each other.
"Hestia, which one do you want?" she asked, clearly prepared to buy something for her friend as well.
"I’ll take that white porcelain fishbowl with red lotus." Thinking of the silly fish in her dorm, Hestia figured it could use a new home.
"Alright, that will be 860 Federation Credits. Would you like us to ship it directly to your residence?"
"Yes, otherwise we won’t be able to explore freely today." Mel nodded, letting the shop assistant handle the packaging and fill in the delivery address for Swallow Garden Academy.
"Oh, so you’re students from Swallow Garden Academy? Are you first-years? I haven’t seen you before," the shop assistant, a young man in a work uniform, asked curiously.
Swallow Garden Academy only admitted about 300 students per year, making it a relatively small institution. Since Northern 1st District was packed with academies and constantly hosted inter-school activities, students from different schools were quite familiar with each other.
"Yes," Mel replied a little shyly, using her gray moon cat to half-cover her face.
"Haha, a shy little junior! Nice to meet you, I’m Li Ming. Actually, our academy has a good relationship with Swallow Garden Academy—we’ve collaborated a few times over the past two years, but you’re new, so you wouldn’t know yet."
While they were chatting, the people waiting in line behind them were starting to grow impatient. Seeing this, Li Ming had to wrap up the conversation quickly.
"It’s quite crowded right now, so I might not be able to chat with you properly. How about you go to the backstage lounge for a while? There are some senior students there, including Luo Fuyu, the shrine maiden who just performed."
Hearing that they could meet the performer they had just admired, Mel forgot all about her shyness and excitement took over.
Seeing her enthusiasm, Li Ming called over a classmate.
"Xiaoxiao, take them inside to rest. They’re from Swallow Garden Academy."
"Huh? Oh, okay!"
The girl had just been introducing porcelain pieces to a customer. Handing over the task to another student, she walked over to guide Hestia and Mel.
She had light brown hair tied in a single ponytail and was slightly taller than Hestia, appearing to be around 17 or 18 years old.
"Follow me."
She led them through a maze of porcelain displays, turning a few corners before arriving at the inner sanctum and pushing open a door.
Inside the lounge, five people were present.
Luo Fuyu, the shrine maiden who had performed earlier, sat at a vanity mirror touching up her makeup. A companion was helping her tidy her hair and clothing. A student lay on a couch in the back, snoring softly. The last two people were chatting on another couch, discussing where to go next.
"I’m coming in!"
Before entering, Xiaoxiao knocked on the door, drawing the attention of everyone inside as she led Hestia and Mel into the room.
"These two are students from Swallow Garden Academy. They’re just here to rest for a bit."
Though surprised to see students from Swallow Garden Academy here, the people in the room didn’t object—just looked at them with curiosity.
Having completed her task, Xiaoxiao left, leaving Hestia and Mel awkwardly seated. Fortunately, Luo Fuyu had finished fixing her hair and approached them.
"Are you both first-years?"
Her long, jet-black hair shimmered like silk, and she sat with perfect poise, hands gracefully folded in front of her. Her dignified and elegant demeanor reminded Hestia of her own mother.
"Yes, but how did you know?" they asked, curious.
"It’s obvious—first, your height; second, your innocent and pure expressions."
Luo Fuyu chuckled lightly behind her sleeve, her fair fingertips peeking out from beneath her snow-white sleeves.
"Only first-years look like that. By the time you reach the upper grades, you’ll become much more shrewd. Your seniors at Swallow Garden Academy are quite sharp—I visited your academy recently to adopt a Snowbell Cat, and they charged me an outrageous price."
As she spoke, she took out a small red-string bell from her sleeve and gently shook it.
From the top of a nearby cabinet came a soft "meow." A moment later, a large, snow-white cat with long, silky fur leaped down, trotting gracefully across the floor before jumping into Luo Fuyu’s arms.
Though only a Sequence 2 creature, this Snowbell Cat had flawless features and a pristine coat—an exceptionally fine specimen. No wonder the Swallow Garden students had set such a high price.
"In a few years, you’ll also get involved in your academy’s business ventures and interact with people outside your school. You’ll mature quickly," Luo Fuyu said as she stroked the cat’s chin, sharing insights into how Northern 1st District academies operated.
Unlike the colleges in Southern 1st District, which focused on academics and research, most academies in Northern 1st District emphasized vocational education. Students gradually got involved in school-related businesses during high school, learning to run operations under the guidance of teachers and through collaboration with classmates.
Education in the interstellar era was vastly different from that of ancient Earth’s information age. Thanks to transcendental knowledge and immersive memory recordings, foundational education was typically completed by middle school. Without the pressure of standardized entrance exams, students didn’t have to endlessly drill academic concepts.
(T/N: This universe historical timeline from previous book: 21st Century Earth > Mass Extinction > Remaining human goes underground and survived through cryogenic sleep > Waking up centuries later > Struggle on new Earth > Humanity rising to pinnacle of civilization > Twilight Era > ’Humanity’ abandoned their mortal shell, becoming soul-like entity and mostly inhabited Aijeka Sea > Aijeka Sea experienced anomaly and wiped 99.99% of the humans > Civilization regressed and neo human as well as sub branch of human (elves, beastfolk, fairy, giant, dragon etc) designed by Tree of Life Sect start growing in new Earth while ancient human decided to fade into the background and only known and appear as angels > the beginning of First Epoch)
High school education resembled college in the information age, lasting four years and primarily focusing on vocational training. By their third and fourth years, many students spent half their time working rather than studying.
Of course, higher-tier professions still required university education. However, the Federation did not mandate immediate university enrollment after high school graduation. Students could work for a few years first before applying, as long as they met the independent admission criteria set by each university.
"Speaking of industry, there will be a lot of new clothing on display at the Twelve-Dan Academy today. I also want to go take a look, but because of the performance, I can’t leave at will." As she spoke, she shook her head, feeling a little regretful.
After that, the three of them chatted for a while longer. Feeling that they had rested enough, Hestia and Mel prepared to get up and leave.
"Let me walk you out. The small labyrinth outside is hard to navigate without guidance. Without someone leading the way, you might have to wander in circles several times before finding the exit." Luo Fuyu put down the white cat in her arms and walked toward the door.
Just then, the door suddenly swung open, and a figure rushed in hurriedly.
"Senior Fuyu, urgent!" As soon as she entered, she collided head-on with Luo Fuyu.
With a thud, the two of them tumbled onto a nearby cabinet, knocking over the porcelain vases placed on top, which crashed down on Luo Fuyu and the other person.
Shards of broken porcelain scattered across the floor. That wasn’t the biggest issue, though—the more serious problem was that some fragments had grazed Luo Fuyu’s forehead, leaving a bleeding cut. Tiny rivulets of blood seeped out, smudging even her makeup.
"Ah, Senior Fuyu, are you alright?" The person on the floor helped Luo Fuyu up—it was Xiaoxiao, the same person who had brought the other two inside earlier.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Luo Fuyu pressed a hand lightly against her forehead, looking at the blood on her fingertips. She knew she had been cut.
"Because there’s a wealthy businessman outside. He said he’s very interested in our academy’s porcelain and wants to see Senior perform again. If possible, this time he might sign a very large order."
"Is that so?" After sitting down with support, Luo Fuyu carefully wiped her wound with a wet tissue in front of the mirror. By now, the bleeding had mostly stopped.
"What a pity. I’m afraid I won’t be able to perform. Going on stage with a bleeding wound on my forehead is very inauspicious. The audience would talk about it, too." She sighed lightly but did not blame Xiaoxiao.
"Can we reschedule? How about tomorrow? In the afternoon, I can go to the hospital, see a doctor for treatment, and probably even get a scar-repair package." Fortunately, modern scar-removal technology was highly advanced, so she didn’t have to worry about any lasting marks.
Seeing this, Hestia wanted to help, but considering the previous warning from the Edess Academy not to reveal her abilities too easily, she decided to hold back. Besides, this wasn’t an urgent matter—Luo Fuyu going to the hospital later would be more than enough.
"I’m afraid not. The teacher said this businessman is very influential but has an unstable temperament. If we delay past tonight, he might lose interest."
"Is the situation really that urgent?" As she spoke, Luo Fuyu put down the wet tissue in her hand and picked up her personal terminal to contact the teacher outside.
...
"Are you sure he’s not just playing with us?" She was somewhat skeptical.
...
"If there’s evidence of that, then this indeed needs to be taken seriously." Luo Fuyu’s tone softened.
...
"Does it have to be right now? I might have a bit of a situation here."
...
"Alright, I’ll do my best." Luo Fuyu finally set down her personal terminal with resignation.
Even though she wouldn’t be punished for not performing, Red Lotus Porcelain Academy was in a difficult position at the moment. This order might significantly improve the academy’s situation and boost its popularity, so she couldn’t just disregard it.
"That being said, performances like these require a certain level of formality. If something goes wrong, it could backfire and offend the businessman instead." She had a family background in this field and understood many of the associated etiquette rules, aesthetic considerations, and potential consequences.
Sitting in front of the mirror, she pondered carefully, thinking about how to resolve the issue. Unconsciously, her eyes landed on Hestia, who was sitting on the distant sofa.
Although Hestia had gray hair, her overall aura was strikingly similar to her own. Looking closely, even the contours of her face carried the same delicate and tranquil beauty unique to the East—elegant and fair.
No, even if the temperament matched, had she ever studied this before? The performance had so many intricate steps—one mistake could set off a chain reaction. Luo Fuyu thought to herself.
"But still, I should at least ask. It’s rare to find someone whose demeanor and appearance align so perfectly."
"Classmate Hestia, have you ever learned about shrine maidens or Eastern ritual dances?" She couldn’t help but turn around and ask.
"Me? Yes, I have. I used to learn sword dance from my mother." Hestia answered while also guessing Luo Fuyu’s intentions.
Hearing this, Luo Fuyu, who initially had no expectations, felt a glimmer of hope, but she was still worried about messing things up and hesitated.
"I’d like to ask for your help, Hestia. Would that be possible?" In the end, she decided to give it a try. She could just inform the front desk that they needed some time to prepare. If Hestia wasn’t up to it, she would have to go on stage herself.
"I understand." Hestia thought for a moment and nodded. Although she had only observed it once, many of the steps and movements overlapped with her mother’s sword dance, both of which originated from the Five Phoenix Era’s ritual dances.
And so, a new round of preparation began inside the room. Luo Fuyu taught Hestia the steps, while the others helped temporarily dye and style the girl’s hair. They also found a suitable porcelain jade bottle to be used as the featured piece for the next performance.
Minute by minute, time passed. Just as those waiting outside were growing impatient and anxious, a young girl dressed in a shrine maiden’s robe gracefully stepped out. She moved lightly, her long black hair swaying gently. Her pristine white robe was adorned with crimson sparrows and jade-green branches.
When she stepped onto the lotus pedestal in the water, she slowly raised a hand, half-covering her face with her snow-white sleeve. Then, her delicate features—softly adorned with light makeup—gradually appeared. From behind the sleeve, her dark, crystalline eyes were revealed, gentle as water, as if they held a thousand unspoken words. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, evoking endless tenderness.
Then, her movements and sleeves swirled gently over the water, like a lotus in bloom. The elegance and harmony of her posture were mesmerizing, making people unconsciously forget that this performance was slightly different from the previous one.
As her spinning dance came to a halt, a jade bottle with a design of a blue porcelain lotus appeared in her hands. She held it delicately at the base and moved gracefully in a circular path along the lotus pedestal. Ripples spread across the water’s surface, fine streams of water rising in her wake.
The streams of water swirled in rhythm with her dance steps, gradually gathering in the air before flowing into the jade bottle she held. Droplets sparkled under the light, casting a shimmering glow over her silhouette, creating an almost dreamlike scene.
At last, as the shrine maiden’s performance concluded, she gracefully spread her sleeves wide. They remained pristine, untouched by even a single drop of water. Standing on the lotus pedestal, her robes and hair swayed gently in the breeze, stirring the hearts of countless spectators, as though they had fallen into a distant dream, unwilling to wake.
