“Exemption from classes?”
Honestly, Ye Xu was quite tempted.
After all, he had only come to this school because he had promised Lady Nal and Simar to experience campus life once more. He wasn’t expecting anything taught here to actually provide him with any real help.
Although joining a magitech research lab would mean occasionally being called over for development and research work, it was still far more relaxed and free than having to attend classes punctually every single afternoon.
He wasn’t worried about exposure either. Hiding his strength and pretending to be weak was definitely easier than learning more advanced knowledge.
It was just that acknowledging an elder whose technical skills were inferior to his own as his master felt a bit…
Although it sounded somewhat arrogant, after living in this world for seventeen years and considering himself a genius, Ye Xu still had a bit of a genius’s pride in his heart.
“Um…”
Four years of class exemption and direct entry into a senior professor’s lab—this was treatment that most students wouldn’t even dare dream of. At this moment, the students in the classroom were completely shocked, whispering among themselves and asking who this handsome classmate actually was.
However, Ye Xu showed a troubled expression and fell into hesitation, which left Professor Vilans momentarily puzzled.
But soon, he reacted and immediately burst into hearty laughter.
“Aiya, aiya, look at this old fool. How could I have overlooked something like that…”
Although he felt a little unwilling inside, after thinking it over, Vilans found it reasonable.
“You’re so young yet you’ve already achieved so much. Your talent is truly astonishing, but you must have your own mentor. It was my oversight; I didn’t consider this.”
“How about this? You don’t need to formally take me as your master. In the future, just call me ‘Teacher’ when you see me. I’ll still accept you into my lab. How does that sound?”
Vilans’ thinking was sound. After all, high-level, in-depth, research-oriented knowledge in magic, magitech, and alchemy was often rigid and difficult to learn. People without proper guidance usually found it extremely hard even to enter the field.
In his view, even with Ye Xu’s astonishing talent, achieving this much at such a young age without someone leading him would have been impossible.
Combined with the fact that this boy had lived alone in the Radiant Sun Empire since childhood and was only recently brought back by his older brother, it made sense.
Although reluctant, Vilans was not a petty or stubborn person. He was even less willing to let such a genius go to waste under his watch.
“Uh…”
Hearing Vilans find an excuse for him, the corner of Ye Xu’s mouth twitched slightly.
Mentor?
Did those guys at the Radiant Sun Empire Machine Research Institute—who after every weekly lecture wanted to cling to her leg crying “Your Highness the Emperor’s Daughter, please take me with you”—count as her disciples?
Of course, she naturally couldn’t say such things out loud. After all, the reason this teacher had come up with on his own was genuinely beneficial to him.
“Then Ye Laixi greets Teacher.”
When there was a benefit to be had, only a fool wouldn’t take it. With afternoon elective classes for the next four years completely waived, Ye Xu was naturally happy to take it easy. He bowed his head and properly saluted Vilans.
“Good, good.” Saying “good” twice, Vilans patted Ye Xu on the shoulder and motioned for him to sit down. “In that case, you can continue reading your book. The teacher will resume the lesson. Come find me after class ends, and I’ll take you to meet your senior brothers and sisters.”
After all, class was still in session. No matter how much Vilans cherished talent, spending five minutes solely on Ye Xu was already enough.
After having Ye Xu sit back down, he clasped his hands behind his back, returning to the serious and calm demeanor of an old mage. Stroking his beard, he walked back to the podium and resumed teaching.
Ye Xu also went back to flipping through his textbook, waiting for the class to end.
The afternoon elective class lasted a full hour at most. Its primary purpose was for the teacher to explain various knowledge and lead students through the door. Deeper study still depended on the students themselves.
What was supposed to be the second period ultimately became the final hour for students to move freely around the school—going to the library to self-study or joining club activities. This was its exact purpose.
It didn’t take long. After the other students took one last look at him, as if trying to memorize Ye Xu’s face, they left the classroom while discussing animatedly among themselves.
Professor Vilans packed up his teaching materials and walked over to Ye Xu, who had also packed up and stood up, saying, “Let’s go.”
Then, he led him toward the upper floors of the Magitech Department.
The moment they reached the top floor, the view opened up dramatically.
Ye Xu immediately discovered that this top floor was a world unto itself.
Large-scale space magic seemed to have been used; in any case, the top floor was much larger than the four floors below combined.
Many magitech department teachers and noticeably older senior students were walking about and conversing here.
The ceiling and walls were made of metal that emitted faint magical fluctuations. Rows of mana-powered lights lined the center of the ceiling.
Underfoot was a layer of stone flooring that was nearly completely insulating against mana and most other forms of energy, with an appearance and texture similar to marble.
It was clearly a world of magic, yet the level of modernization here rivaled modern Earth buildings.
These were scenes Ye Xu had never seen before.
After all, the vast majority of his life had been spent inside the empire.
Even the Machine Research Institute—a holy land of magitech representing the continent’s top technology—due to the empire’s numerous complicated etiquettes and strict regulations, had overly retro and nostalgic (or rather… “gaudy”) decorations.
“How is it?”
Not finding Ye Xu’s reaction strange, Professor Vilans stroked his beard and asked with pride.
“Very nice.”
Having grown accustomed to gold, carvings, and resplendent decorations, as well as the various perfumes and spices always lingering in the air, the current simplicity and practicality instead made Ye Xu sigh that this was truly the kind of place where academic researchers should stay.
“Heh~” Most noble children’s first reaction upon arriving here was to feel it was strange and too plain. Only after gradually immersing themselves deeper in research and adjusting their mindset to that of a true magitech master would they come to like this place more and more, appreciating its simplicity and practicality.
Seeing Ye Xu accept it so quickly, Vilans’ evaluation of him rose by several points.
Leading Ye Xu deeper into the top floor and seeing the surprised gazes from other teachers and senior students upon noticing such a young junior appearing here, Vilans nodded to them one by one, signaling that there was no need to be alarmed. He continued until he brought Ye Xu before a thick magitech door made of insulated alloy.
Pressing his hand into a recessed panel and inputting a string of mana codes that Ye Xu could tell were extremely complex even with a casual sense, the door opened with a rumble, revealing the scene inside.
Inside were rows of precision magitech instruments. Several senior students wearing upper-year uniforms were present, and even…
There was a very familiar figure???
“Everyone stop for a moment! Come take a look at your little junior!”
Vilans clapped his hands and shouted with a powerful voice, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room.
One by one, they turned their heads and noticed the impossibly young figure standing behind Vilans—one who logically shouldn’t be here. Among them, one person in particular…
Wasn’t that Irina???