Chapter 65 : Why do I work hard?

Redwood City Magic School, classroom corridor.

A beautiful girl with shoulder-length golden hair was strolling around, clearly bored.

Behind her, a middle-aged man was rubbing his hands together, wearing a flattering smile as he spoke to the girl walking ahead.

“Rosily, why don’t you learn my swordsmanship?”

“Rosily, if you learn my swordsmanship, I’d gladly become your disciple.”

“Rosily, do you charge for lessons? Just name your price—if it’s within my means, I’ll try to gather it. I just want you to learn my swordsmanship!”

“Rosily?”

“Rosily, are you listening?”

Rosily rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Since the incident with Yelena, she had become the center of attention—almost legendary.

After all, she was someone who had never trained but still managed to defeat Yelena, who was at Magic Power Stage Two.

That wasn’t just an ordinary upset victory.

Their swordsmanship teacher—this very man trailing behind Rosily, begging her to learn swordsmanship—had been tirelessly recommending himself, but Rosily showed little interest.

She reached a long bench and sat down, casually resting her feet on it.

Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure.

Rosily jumped up from the bench and dashed toward the brown-haired girl with glasses.

“Elqi!”

Though Rosily was quite popular at school, Elqi was the only one she truly considered a friend.

Hearing her name called, Elqi slowed her pace and turned toward the voice.

Just as Elqi turned, she saw Rosily rushing toward her so quickly she was momentarily startled.

Instinctively, she summoned her staff, ready to cast a protective spell.

But by then, Rosily had already stopped firmly in front of her.

Elqi blinked in surprise, then feigned calm, pushing her slightly slipping glasses back into place.

She looked at Rosily’s proud expression and sighed.

Then, glancing at the swordsmanship teacher lingering in the distance, she asked,

“Rosily, what’s going on?”

“What?”

Rosily didn’t understand what she meant but grabbed Elqi’s hand, eager to leave.

Her pretty face was lit with a smile.

“Let’s go to class~”

“……”

The school’s schedule was very relaxed—only four classes a day, each lasting less than an hour.

This meant they had plenty of free time to wander the spacious campus.

Rosily was the type to wander around idly, while Elqi preferred to immerse herself in the library, studying for hours at a time.

As the two walked on, Elqi glanced back and saw the swordsmanship teacher hadn’t followed.

She let Rosily pull her toward their next class location.

Along the way, Elqi asked Rosily some questions.

“That teacher actually has a deep passion for swordsmanship. He believes teaching swordsmanship to those without talent will only lead to its decline. He must have seen your talent and thought you were exceptional enough to learn from him. I think learning that sword style from him could be a good choice.”

Rosily didn’t answer but gazed into the distance.

Seeing her silent, Elqi didn’t press further and instead began talking about herself.

“Do you know why I work so hard?”

“Why?”

“Because I want to go to Talrond.

It’s a place where all geniuses gather.

If I get there, I can learn more profound knowledge.

If possible, I hope you, Rosily, can go there too.”

“Oh…”

Rosily remembered the name Talrond.

Seeing Rosily’s lack of reaction, Elqi sighed softly.

At that moment, Rosily leaned close, a mischievous smile playing on her delicate face as she lowered her voice.

“Are you afraid of being lonely going there alone, Elqi?”

“Th-That’s… not true!”

Rosily’s words seemed to hit a sensitive spot.

Elqi turned her head away, hiding the emotions flickering in her eyes.

Rosily didn’t pursue it further and stepped back to a respectful distance, noticing a hint of disappointment on Elqi’s face.

The academy was sparsely populated, and most students lacked ambition, just trying to get by.

They treated the school as a place to build social connections rather than a place to truly study.

Classes felt more like formalities, and the school hardly felt like a school—mostly due to the way the elders behind these students had intentionally shaped their education.

It wasn’t that their thinking was outdated.

At Talrond Academy, one could meet more people of higher caliber.

But with only three slots a year, most knew their limits and simply gave up on that goal.

Many students wanted to befriend Elqi because of her surname—Ofield—but she was deeply annoyed by it and just wanted to leave this place with no cultivation atmosphere.

That was why she longed for the City of Knowledge.

But for Elqi, trying to stay true to herself in such a cesspool was difficult.

When you strive, everyone else is fooling around.

They scoff at the knowledge you hold dear, always sneering something like: “Talrond isn’t for just anyone. Only the Empire’s rising stars get in.”

Elqi believed Rosily was the so-called genius people talked about, yet she was wasting her talent, preferring to daydream rather than train.

That was… shameful behavior…

Elqi glanced sideways at the exquisitely beautiful girl, her heart clouded with a hint of sorrow, and she couldn’t help but voice her true feelings.

“Is it really worth it?”

“What?”

Rosily heard her words but didn’t understand what Elqi meant.

Elqi only smiled and said it was nothing.

Rosily didn’t pry.

She withdrew her gaze and looked up at the vast sky.

Stretching lazily, she said in a relaxed tone,

“Actually, I want to see Talrond Academy too, but my mother is alone at home. If I go to that Talrond Academy, what if someone bullies her?”

“I promised to protect her.”

“If we moved there together, after finally settling down here, we’d have to leave again. I don’t want my mother to endure another long journey and all its dangers.”

Behind Elqi’s glasses, her dark, watery eyes blinked.

Was she really considering that?

Soon they arrived at the classroom location—it was the same arena as before.

But this time, it wasn’t a swordsmanship class, but a simulated battle.

As warriors or mages, there would inevitably be times to fight, but their opponent was not a ferocious beast.

Four horses pulled a cart into the arena.

On the cart crouched a huge steel creature resembling an ape, over three meters tall, exuding a strong aura of intimidation.

Those who recognized it already felt their legs go weak.

“It’s a magic automaton! It’s a magic automaton!”