“Are you the teacher my mother spoke of?” Sara’s eyes widened as she stared at the elderly man before her.
So, the one her mother said we could absolutely trust to protect her was this old man.
“That’s right.” Elvis’s eyes held a nostalgic sadness as he sighed, “But it’s been many years since I last saw your mother. When she left me back then, she wasn’t married yet, and now…”
He let out a deep sigh, his voice and posture seeming even older.
It was clear he was deeply saddened by the tragic news that had befallen his disciple.
Sara’s eyes reddened as memories of her mother flooded her mind.
She bit her lip hard but still couldn’t hold back the tears.
Li Xian reached out, gently stroking her hair, hoping to offer some comfort.
“By the way, young man, who are you?”
Elvis immediately shifted his gaze to Li Xian.
After all, it was because of this young man that he had come here in the first place.
A prodigy with an outstanding Magical Elemental Affinity, he had already caught Elvis’s full attention.
That was why, upon hearing the news, he had rushed over without delay—and now he was witnessing an even more astonishing scene, with the daughter of his disciple right here.
“Me?” Li Xian pointed to himself and glanced at Sara, hesitating for a moment.
“Let’s just say I’m a friend of Sara’s…”
“A friend…?” Elvis’s expression turned strange for a moment before he chuckled teasingly.
“Yeah, a ‘friend.'” A knowing smile curved his lips, making Sara blush deeply.
“No, I…”
“Alright, alright, at my age, I’m not clueless. You young people have your own affairs to handle, and this old man won’t meddle.”
Elvis stroked his beard with some relief.
Two prodigies appearing in the same era was certainly a good thing, but the saying “one mountain cannot hold two tigers” especially applied in such a small Academy.
History was not without tragic records of two geniuses who became enemies, ultimately leading to mutual destruction.
That was not something Elvis wanted to see.
From what he could tell, these two didn’t have any conflict at all.
In fact, their relationship was quite good—exceptionally good—which put his mind at ease.
“Well then, this old man still has many matters to attend to, so I’ll be off for now. When there’s time, I’ll come back and talk with you properly…”
Elvis had come primarily to show his respect and concern, but he had many other tasks at hand and couldn’t stay long.
Besides, he hadn’t revealed his identity to the candidates here.
If they knew that the old man before them was Lord Elvis, head of the Six Great Ace Magicians of the Empire, chaos would surely ensue.
Today was the day of the Entrance Examination after all.
While discovering two prodigies was exhilarating, it was also important not to overlook the other candidates.
Not long after Elvis left, a handsome man approached.
His face bore stubble, dark circles under his eyes, and a lean figure that somehow exuded charm.
His sharply defined features must have captivated many young maidens in his youth.
Even now as a grown man, he hadn’t lost that allure.
In fact, it seemed to have grown stronger—evident from the shrieking female students nearby.
“Are you two?” He walked up to Li Xian and Sara, scrutinized them briefly, nodded, and then said, “The assessments probably won’t finish today. The Second Round of Assessment should be held the day after tomorrow. If you don’t want to stay here, you can go back for now. Of course, you can also stay at the Academy. Someone will arrange accommodations for you.”
Li Xian thought for a moment but shook his head and said, “No need. We’ll come back for the second round.”
“That’s fine.” The handsome man nodded indifferently.
Actually, Li Xian thought free accommodations wouldn’t be bad—two days could save twenty gold coins.
But judging by Sara’s expression, she still seemed uneasy around so many people.
Her awkward, stiff demeanor said it all.
Taking that into account, Li Xian decided to find a place outside for them to stay for a couple of days.
There would be plenty of chances to stay at the Academy later; no need to rush now.
They left the Academy through the back gate, watched by many eyes.
The sky was still early; they found a place for lunch and planned to explore the big city of this magical world in the afternoon.
Li Xian had read many novels about magical worlds, but actually seeing one was a different experience altogether.
He quite enjoyed walking through the streets of this otherworldly city.
He also wanted to scout a suitable location to open a coffee shop in the future.
If possible, it’d be best near the Academy to avoid wasting too much time commuting.
But reality was harsh: the area around the Academy was a bustling commercial district where every inch of land was precious, and there was no vacant space in sight.
It gave Li Xian quite a headache.
If only he could meet some rich, beautiful girl here—just a wave of his hand and he’d get a whole street!
Helpless, Li Xian began to daydream grandly.
“Karinya, I think you should stick to your Royal Hotel. It’s better not to get involved with the tavern business.”
While Li Xian eagerly searched for a good spot—one he could see but not touch—a faint voice caught his attention amid the noisy street.
Looking toward the source, he saw through an open window on the second floor of a tavern a striking head of purple hair.
“Is that her?” Li Xian froze.
The girl was one of the two he had met when buying clothes.
To be sure, he glanced at her chest—yes, it was the same figure he barely remembered.
No mistake.
But her current state didn’t look very good…
“Roy, you don’t need to trouble yourself with my affairs,” the girl’s voice was calm but filled with clear rejection and distance.
“Why wouldn’t I? Don’t forget, we have a marriage contract. You’re mine. If I don’t care about your matters, then who else would?” The man opposite her smiled.
“Besides, don’t forget it was you who said you could manage this area well, so I rented it to you. What’s this? Now that things have turned out like this, you want to turn your back on me?”