Chapter 24: Unexpected Problems

Retracting her thoughts.

Ophelia stood among the crowd, her fingertips unconsciously tightening, digging deep into her palm.

She had originally thought that when she and Clovie finally locked eyes again after so many years, she would feel genuine joy from the bottom of her heart. Yet, she hadn’t expected that in the years she was absent, someone new had appeared by Clovie’s side.

Clovie’s hand had once subconsciously tugged at his sleeve. Clovie’s gaze would, from time to time, rest briefly on him…

—But I was here first, I was the one who met her first.

That spot that should have belonged to her—the one by her side, to share her unease, to be her silent companion—when did it get taken over by someone of unknown origin?

Don’t be hasty.

Ophelia reminded herself inwardly.

She had already waited so many years, from an innocent child to a young lady, from obscurity to the fame she enjoyed now. She didn’t mind waiting a bit longer, or walking a few more steps.

She believed that Clovie was just… just away from Valgard for too long, away from her for too long.

The loneliness of North Yanktonshire, the burdens of family—all of it must have been agonizing for her. She was like a bird separated from its flock, flying for too long in the cold, empty sky, so that any hint of warmth would instinctively draw her in.

She just hadn’t had anyone by her side for too long.

—It must be like that.

—Vivi should be protected by me, and only by me.

—I’m the one she can’t do without, I’m her true friend… the Blanche family’s wings are the harbor she deserves.

And the Atlas Institute—that was where everything would return to its rightful path.

Ophelia pressed her lips together in thought. With her ability and the Blanche family’s reputation, entering the Celestial Class at the academy was a certainty. That was where true geniuses and heirs of power gathered—it was the future of the kingdom.

But what about Clovie?

The Rufinias family had already declined. Though she was talented, family upheavals and the lack of resources in her territory might mean she wouldn’t receive the best training.

As for that mysterious man at her side… merely a fourth rank. In front of the real elites of the academy, how much genuine guidance could he really provide?

For Clovie now, the Celestial Class might be too distant a dream. But the Morningstar Class, or even the next tier of elite classes—with her foundation and potential, and a little luck, she still had a chance.

She had even considered the worst-case scenario.

Like… if Clovie failed.

Ophelia’s lips curled slightly.

That wouldn’t be a problem.

She would ask her father for help—a little use of connections would suffice. Wasn’t that what all nobles did?

There was nothing wrong with that.

Ophelia told herself this was only to return Clovie to where she belonged, to bring her… back to her side.

At this thought, Ophelia’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

—This time, I will reclaim everything I lost, with my own hands!

As Ophelia’s thoughts drifted, the silent magic array in the field finally stirred.

The concentration of magic in the air surged. Luo Lan exhaled lightly, taking a few deep breaths, trying to relax his slightly tense nerves.

He looked at Clovie, a bit uneasy. The girl had already closed her eyes gently, her long lashes trembling slightly with each breath. There was no abnormal magic fluctuation or any sign of rejection.

At least, everything seemed normal.

He let go of half of his worries; as for the other half, they’d have to wait for the final result.

As for his own prospects, Luo Lan was rather open-minded. If he could get into the Atlas Institute smoothly, that would be wonderful. The academy’s grand library alone was worth it for him.

Of course, if luck wasn’t on his side and he failed… well, he could always figure out a Plan B.

Just as the staff had said earlier, there really wasn’t much for participants to do during this test.

The magic resonance scan proceeded silently, much faster than expected. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the glow enveloping them receded like the tide, the spinning magic crystal slowed, and the testing device dimmed, returning to its calm state.

The faint sounds of exhalation and rustling clothes rose in the field as many people relaxed from the sense of being “scrutinized.”

The test was over. Next, it would be time to announce the results.

Taking advantage of this moment, Luo Lan closed his eyes again and opened his little iron book in his consciousness, only to find that the two lines were still the same, lying quietly on the page.

Other than that, nothing had changed, nor was there any hint of new information.

The boy frowned, guessing that nothing had changed because the results hadn’t been finalized yet. He let his awareness return and opened his eyes.

“Ah?” Luo Lan exclaimed softly.

The first thing he saw was Clovie’s face, which had somehow drawn close, her gaze wandering over him.

He instinctively took half a step back, putting a little distance between them.

Clovie didn’t seem to notice his retreat; her brows only knitted tighter, her gaze still locked onto the spot between his brows.

“Are you worried you won’t get into the Atlas Institute?”

Just as Luo Lan was about to explain, Clovie bit her lip and spoke quickly.

“It’s okay. Even if something unexpected happens, I’ll do everything I can to get you into the academy.”

Luo Lan’s lips twitched at her words, but in the end, he said nothing. He just shrugged noncommittally, though he caught sight of a figure in the distance out of the corner of his eye.

It was Yuna. Unlike the other staff, she wasn’t busy but stood quietly at the edge of the testing array in the shadow, her gaze seemingly directed their way.

It was a bit far, so Luo Lan couldn’t see her expression clearly.

“By the way,” the boy turned his gaze back and asked, “doesn’t it feel like the results are taking a bit longer this time?”

Normally, the assessment of the resonance test was almost instantaneous once information was collected, but the wait before the results were announced seemed longer than expected.

Before his words had faded, as if to answer Luo Lan’s question, a clear, magically amplified voice rang out from the host’s platform at the front of the testing ground, quieting the rising murmur of the crowd.

“Hello, everyone—”

Yuna stood on the platform, her face expressionless.

“I am one of the supervisors for this resonance test. Due to some unexpected issues, we’ve decided to post the results on the announcement board over there. The final class assignments and details will be sent to you later using your provided contact information. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

She then gave a standard bow, and without giving anyone the chance to ask questions, disappeared into the crowd with a flicker.

“Unexpected issues?”

Ophelia murmured under her breath, but shrugged it off—as long as it didn’t affect her or Clovie, it didn’t matter.

“Vivi, let’s go take a look as well.”

She reached out and naturally took Clovie’s arm, but Clovie instinctively glanced back, her other hand reaching behind her to Luo Lan, her slender fingers gently tugging his sleeve.

Ophelia noticed the little gesture and subtly tightened her grip on Clovie’s arm, but her bright smile remained unchanged.

So the three of them walked up to the announcement board together.

A crowd had already gathered, making the air hot and stuffy.

A fresh sheet of parchment had been posted, but instead of the expected names, there were rows of numbers, each matching the numbers on their little magic crystal tokens.

The crowd buzzed, searching for their own numbers. Those who found theirs whispered in excitement or discussed the results with friends.

Ophelia barely had to try—her gaze swept over the list, and in the top rows of shining numbers, she found hers.

With her magical circuit rated above the fifth rank, this was to be expected.

Ophelia happily turned to Clovie at her side, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught another number on the parchment.

Just a few lines below hers, another number glimmered with the same unmistakable brilliance—identical to the one on Clovie’s token.

Clovie… had passed too. Judging by the placement of her number, her result was clearly not much worse than her own.

The girl stared at the number for a few seconds, a look of relief flashing in her crimson eyes. Then she turned, her gaze clear as she looked at Luo Lan beside her.

But Luo Lan wasn’t looking at the parchment. Once he saw Clovie’s number among the top, his attention shifted.

—It worked!

The boy eagerly opened his little iron book in his mind once more.

The pages rustled, rapidly flipping to the page with the two lines. But before Luo Lan could take a closer look, a familiar voice sounded in his ear.

At some point, four people had quietly appeared at his side.

Yuna stood at the front, her expression calm. Behind her were three magicians with far deeper auras, standing silently, their eyes fixed on Luo Lan with a subtle pressure and scrutiny.

“Yuna, what’s this about?” Clovie asked in confusion.

But Yuna didn’t look at her; her gaze stayed locked on Luo Lan.

“Hello, may I ask if you are Mr. Luo Lan Rufinias?”

The boy noticed something strange in Yuna’s tone. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded lightly.

“Very well, Mr. Luo Lan. The organizers of this test have some questions regarding your resonance test results. So, we need you to come with us to another place for a… retest.”

After she spoke, Yuna took a half step back and added,

“I hope you’ll cooperate. This is very important.”