Chapter 24 Part 1

The sky stretched clear for miles, and the majestic, mysterious Clarity Magic Academy stood at the center of the town, overlooking the creatures below.

Clarity students wore the standard school uniform—wide mage robes that were both stylish and practical, allowing free movement. Weaving through their midst, Tong Yuwu stood out as the sole exception in her noble miss’s floor-length gown.

She held up the hem of her skirt with one hand, eyes fixed straight ahead. She walked steadily, though not quickly.

Everyone around stared at her. The glances cast her way began with puzzlement, shifting to awe once they focused on her face. Then they turned away, whispering with those nearby. Their discussions revolved around her identity, her beauty, her attire… but no one dared critique her poise or bearing.

Every gesture from the noble miss was a sight to behold, light and graceful much like a legendary mermaid rising from the ocean depths.

Ming Yi’s steps were sprightly; by now, he had dashed ahead to the base of a building, laughing and greeting familiar classmates. In Tong Yuwu’s view, he had shrunk to a tiny black speck. Her brother Ming Ke wore a strained expression but paused every few steps, waiting for her to catch up at her leisurely pace.

“Can’t you walk any faster?” Ming Ke asked as Tong Yuwu drew level with him for the umpteenth time.

She looked up at him. “Are you in a hurry?”

Ming Ke averted his gaze. “I just don’t want to waste time on pointless waiting like this.”

“Then why don’t you go on ahead?” Tong Yuwu asked.

Her expression was utterly serious, devoid of any teasing. She seemed genuinely baffled as to why he put up with it.

Ming Ke froze for a moment, then shot her a cold glance. “Rest assured, my upbringing won’t let me abandon a lady on her own.”

Tong Yuwu nodded in sudden understanding.

Before Ming Ke could quicken his pace, her voice reached him again. “Does your upbringing clash with your instincts often?” He turned to see the noble miss shading her eyes with one hand as she gazed at the sky. “Does upbringing always come out on top?”

Ming Ke opened his mouth, but before he could respond, a burst of noise erupted behind them—

Ming Yi was approaching with a crowd of acquaintances in tow.

“See? This is the new classmate I mentioned.” Ming Yi bounced to Tong Yuwu’s side. “Isn’t she stunning? I was floored when I visited her this morning. Rose Street might smell intoxicating, but even tens of thousands of flowers there can’t hold a candle to this Tong Family young miss.”

The boys burst into ambiguous laughter.

Beauty took many forms, some so captivating and fierce they kept people at bay. Tong Yuwu, however, embodied the gentlest kind. Her face was scarcely larger than a palm, framed by enormous eyes—the very picture of innocence that would make any child on the street beg their mother to take her home and cuddle her to sleep. Especially with those purple pupils staring blankly, unfocused and still, onlookers might mistake her for a life-sized doll rather than a living girl.

“What’s the point of being pretty?” A girl with brown curly hair stepped forward from the group and extended her hand to Tong Yuwu. “Hello. I’m Dilin Leopold. Magic aptitude level seven, now a junior wind magician. Thrilled to have you as a classmate.”

Tong Yuwu stared at the proffered hand for a long moment, until Dilin was on the verge of frowning. Only then did she raise her own hand for a gentle clasp.

“Tong Yuwu,” she said, echoing the introduction.

As one of the few girls in the group, Dilin leveraged her gender to elbow past the others and fall into step beside Tong Yuwu.

“I’ve been at Clarity for almost three years. You’re the first mid-term transfer I’ve ever seen.

“Clarity must have made an exception for you. You’ve got to have something incredible going for you, right? Level eight aptitude? Nine?”

Tong Yuwu shook her head.

Dilin slowed her pace. “…Max aptitude?”

The others matched her speed, their eyes turning as one to Tong Yuwu.

Keeping people waiting was rude, so Tong Yuwu spoke. “Level zero.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd once more, but Dilin frowned. “I don’t care for that joke.”

Tong Yuwu offered no explanation. Ming Yi made frantic winking faces beside her, urging the others not to pry, but the mood grew tense regardless. Everyone exchanged glances before falling silent as one.

The group reached the Administrative Building. Ming Yi and Ming Ke escorted Tong Yuwu upstairs, where they swiftly handled the enrollment formalities. She received a badge marking her as a Clarity student, along with a key to the dormitories.

“The school provides dorms, but you can apply to live off-campus,” Ming Yi explained as they descended the stairs. “You’re joining first year, though, and first years have to stay on campus. You can only leave during holidays.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll talk to Mother and get a special permit approved just for you.”

Tong Yuwu asked, “Why does First Year have to live on campus?”

“Uh…” Ming Yi thought for a moment. “Because the First Year coursework is pretty heavy. They focus on the most basic theoretical knowledge, unlike the upper years, which emphasize practical training.” He stuck out his tongue. “Back then, memorizing incantations nearly blew my brain. I never want to see that old professor’s face again for the rest of my life.”

Tong Yuwu tilted her head in thought. “Then I should live in the dorms too.”

Ming Yi smiled, his eyes curving into happy crescents. “You’re different, though.

“If anyone gives you trouble, just tell me. I’ll go teach them a lesson.”

Ming Ke glanced up at him. Ming Yi caught the look and reined himself in a little. Tong Yuwu, meanwhile, kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, ignoring the exchange between the two brothers beside her.

Once they stepped out of the Administrative Building, Dilin and the others were still waiting at the entrance. The moment they spotted the badge pinned to Tong Yuwu’s chest, their eyes went wide.

“First Year?” Dilin’s brows knitted tightly. “Shouldn’t you be in Third Year like the rest of us? How did you end up with a First Year badge?”

Her immediate reaction was to turn on Ming Yi. “Didn’t you even remind her?”

Ming Yi spread his hands innocently. “No mistake about it. Miss Tong is heading to First Year.”

A hush fell over the group for a beat. Then Dilin erupted. “Are you all joking? First Year? That’s a place for fifteen- or sixteen-year-old kids! She’s nobility. If someone her age can’t even measure up to those freshmen, then… then…”

She trailed off, unable to finish. Someone behind her picked up the thread. “Then those lowly commoners will have a perfect living example to mock us with.”

Dilin whipped around to face the more level-headed Ming Ke. “You’re not messing with us, are you? The Principal really approved her enrollment? A total waste with zero Magic Aptitude?”

Ming Ke let out a quiet “Mm.” “This is Mother’s decision.”

Ming Yi stuck out his tongue from the side. “See? It’s not like I was trying to trick you.”

Dilin shot Tong Yuwu a furious glare. She took several deep breaths to steady herself before huffing and storming off without so much as a goodbye. The others were more polite; they waved to the Ming brothers before following in her wake.

In an instant, only Tong Yuwu and the twins remained beneath the Administrative Building.

Ming Yi stepped up to console her. “Don’t take it to heart. Dilin’s our Guild’s Vice President, and she’s really hung up on things like Magic Aptitude.” He flashed a friendly smile. “Once she gets to know you better and sees your other wonderful qualities, she won’t act like this.”

Tong Yuwu blinked in mild confusion, as if she hadn’t quite grasped his words. She simply shook her head. “No need.”

“Hm? What was that?” Ming Yi hadn’t caught it, but he shrugged it off and glanced at the sky. “Anyway, it’s getting late. We’ll walk you back first. With that badge, you can report whenever you want—just pick a day, and then you can start classes with everyone else.”

“You guys go ahead,” said Tong Yuwu.

She clutched the antique-style key. “I’ll go check out the dorms.”

“What’s there to see in the dorms?” Ming Yi blinked in surprise before it clicked. “Oh, right—you’re worried about the living conditions?

“Relax. I pulled strings for the highest-spec single room just for you. Everything’s customized to nobility standards, down to the furnishings. You’ll be right at home.”

Tong Yuwu looked up at him. “Is it comfortable for cats?”

Ming Yi’s expression froze on his face. “…Cats?”

He scratched his head. “How should I know? I’m not a cat. Uh… you planning to keep a cat in there?”

Tong Yuwu sought confirmation. “Can I?”

“You can, yeah. Plenty of people keep their Magic Pets close after taming them.” Ming Yi added a reminder. “Just don’t bring it to class. Pets disrupt lessons, and the professors will toss ’em out.”

Tong Yuwu nodded and gathered her skirt hem. “Thank you.”

She waved to the twins. “Goodbye.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked off without a second thought.

“Hey, wait—already goodbye?” Ming Yi hurried after her. “The exit’s not that way.”

He rubbed his chin. “Still want to check out the dorms? No problem—we’ll show you.”

He turned back to beckon Ming Ke, but his brother hadn’t budged. “I’m not going. I’ve got a magic experiment this afternoon.”

Ming Yi waved him off with brotherly understanding. “All right, you head out then. I’ll go with Miss Tong.”

Ming Ke murmured a quiet “Mm” and strode away.

As he passed Tong Yuwu, he shot her a sidelong glance, his face etched with an expression no one could quite read.

Ming Yi bent down to point the way for Tong Yuwu. “Let’s go this way.” He sized her up, looking a bit troubled. “The school is huge, and the dormitory area is quite a ways from here. Want me to carry you on my back?”

“No need,” Tong Yuwu said.

“Huh? Why not?” Ming Yi blinked in surprise, a touch of hurt in his voice after the rejection. “With my magic, whoosh—we’ll be there in a flash!”

Tong Yuwu didn’t reply. She simply walked on quietly.

Ming Yi’s shoulders slumped in defeat, but he quickly rallied himself. In a few quick steps, he caught up to her and began chattering away, introducing the buildings they passed along the way.

~~~

The alley wasn’t far from Rose Street, yet not a trace of floral scent lingered in the air.

Lost in the joy of regaining her human form, Meng Yiran ignored the danger right beside her. Though her captor gripped only her arm, she felt utterly bound—unable to twitch a muscle, not even to open her mouth and cry for help. She could do nothing but let herself be dragged deeper into the shadows, step by step.

But soon enough, her captor released her, and control of her body flooded back.

Meng Yiran’s first instinct was to bolt for the exit. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before she slammed into an invisible wall. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to stay calm and slowly turned to face her captor.

To her astonishment, the one who had hauled her into the alley was a girl about her own age, her eyes and the corners of her brows brimming with an ethereal sparkle. Behind the little girl stood a tall, elegant man who looked no older than his late teens.

“Shh—” The little girl pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t be scared. We’re not bad people.”

Meng Yiran stayed on high alert, her back pressed against the unseen barrier as she kept as much distance as possible.

Not wanting to provoke them, she forced a stiff smile onto her face. “…You don’t look like bad people, but why’d you drag me in here?”

The little girl leaned in closer, her bright brown eyes studying Meng Yiran unblinkingly. “Because we’re the same kind!”

“The same kind?” Meng Yiran echoed, puzzled.

It was hard for her to even define the word right now. She wasn’t sure what species she even was anymore, let alone whether others like her existed.

The little girl nodded vigorously.

She exchanged a glance with the silent man behind her. Then both bowed their heads and peeled a thin membrane from their eyes. When they looked up again, their dark pupils had shifted to gleaming gold.

Meng Yiran touched her own eyes in shock.

“Golden pupils are one of the hallmarks of our Golden Marten Clan,” the little girl said with a wink. “Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Ling Ge, and this is my brother, Ling Ze. You’re a lost cub of our Golden Marten Clan. We were nearby this morning and sensed the unique spiritual energy pulse of our kind, so we rushed right over to find you.”

“Golden Marten Clan…” Meng Yiran murmured, still utterly bewildered. “I don’t know anything about the Golden Marten Clan.”