There was a question that Cecil found quite puzzling. If the "Royal Tournament" was centered on the capital, why wasn't their "Gulu City" even considered?

When he voiced this question, Fern just smiled, taking a moment before saying, "The Royal Tournament isn't something every academy can just join. Only magic and martial academies of a certain scale qualify to even apply, and even then, participation depends on several rounds of selection!"

"That sounds complicated!" Cecil exclaimed, slightly taken aback.

"Do you know how many magic and martial academies there are in the Great City of Fu? If there weren't these restrictions, the Royal Tournament might not even decide a champion within half a year!" Fern remarked with a smile.

"How big is an average city?" Since Cecil had never traveled far, he wasn't very...

First, Fern paused in thought, finally murmuring, "A smaller city should be more than a hundred times the size of this place!"

"A hundred times?" Cecil’s eyes nearly popped out. He had considered their city quite large, never realizing he was just a frog in a well!

The group continued walking as they chatted. Cecil led them through a shortcut, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the gates of the "Dublai Magic and Martial Academy"—a route they had to pass anyway.

"Hey, little brother!"

Just as Cecil and Fern were sharing a laugh, a high-pitched female voice drifted over. Cecil knew that voice all too well. Looking toward the sound, he indeed saw his older sister waving at him.

"Sorry, I need to step away for a moment, that's my sister!" Cecil apologized to the group before running over.

At that moment, Ma Kexin was seated in a chair, with a desk in front of her piled high with thick stacks of forms.

Sitting beside her were several students wearing the "Dublai Magic and Martial Academy" uniform. Hung above the desk was a large banner inscribed with the characters for "Recruitment."

The "Dublai Magic and Martial Academy" was considered a small academy, slightly below average in "Gulu City." Due to its lack of renown compared to the higher-ranked academies, it didn't attract many students.

To enroll more students, the academy mandated a weekly "Student Recruitment" session outside the main gate every weekend. This was small-scale, usually just a duty teacher and a few students sitting quietly, ready to explain things to anyone who seemed interested. This effort could be described as trying to pick up stray prospects!

Today happened to be Ma Kexin’s turn for duty, and she hadn't expected to see Cecil, who was on his way to the Magic Beast Forest.

"Sister, what are you doing here?" Cecil asked in surprise.

Ma Kexin didn't answer. She walked to the desk and gestured with her lips toward the setup, her expression seemingly asking, Can't you see I'm busy recruiting?

Cecil looked around, couldn't help but chuckle, "Sister, do you really think you can recruit students like this? I'm deeply skeptical!"

Indeed, the area was deserted. Besides him, there wasn't a single outsider.

"We'll take whoever we can get," Ma Kexin sighed. She had been sitting there for half the day, hadn't recruited a single new student, or even had anyone stop to inquire.

"Little brother, who are those people over there? That girl looks quite pretty; is she your girlfriend?" Ma Kexin asked with a sly grin.

"Don't—don't talk nonsense!" Cecil glanced quickly at Sharlot and, seeing she didn't appear offended, breathed a sigh of relief!

Ma Kexin didn't press the issue, instead letting her eyes wander over Sharlot.

Cecil knew his sister; he knew her silence was temporary. If left alone, he would soon face an interrogation as stormy as a tempest. To prevent this, he quickly changed the subject: "Sister, you absolutely must not go home these few days; Dad is still furious!"

Ma Kexin's attention was indeed diverted, and she immediately asked, "When do you think Dad’s anger will cool down?"

"That's hard to say!"

Ma Kexin instantly showed a look of deep vexation, regretting her earlier loose tongue. Now, she had a home she couldn't return to!

"Hush!"

Just then, a small girl nearby suddenly let out an exclamation!

"Monica, what's wrong?" Ma Kexin asked her student, confused.

Monica was staring straight ahead, as if she had seen something shocking.

Following the direction of her gaze, Ma Kexin and Cecil both froze on the spot.

A small figure was approaching them slowly from a distance, and this person was none other than Zhong Shenxiu, who was out for a stroll!

Zhong Shenxiu rarely frequented this street because it lacked shops. He was walking here today out of boredom and hadn't expected to run into Ma Kexin and her group.

Zhong Shenxiu had good eyesight. He spotted the banner inscribed with "Recruitment" immediately and felt a flicker of curiosity, so he walked over.

Monica recognized this person, Zhong Shenxiu; he was the child who had warned them during their training in the Magic Beast Forest. Aiedra had told her she encountered him once in front of a magic shop, and Monica hadn't believed it, never expecting to see him here!

He... he really hasn't...

Monica grew somewhat agitated. She felt a pang of guilt toward Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.

"Captain, look! It’s that kid again!" Hank had also spotted Zhong Shenxiu approaching.

Sharlot's brow furrowed. If she remembered correctly, this was the third time she had seen Zhong Shenxiu.

Why was she running into this little boy every time?

Sharlot found it hard to comprehend. Earlier, she hadn't paid much attention to Zhong Shenxiu, but now she had to take note of the boy!

"Sister, did you see that?" Cecil asked, somewhat dumbfounded.

"Yes!"

Ma Kexin’s face was full of disbelief. She had just been wondering who that child who "sold 'War Relics'" was, and if she could perhaps ask him to sell another one to her father so she could redeem herself. To think she ran into him now!

If this was a coincidence, it was too much of one!

As everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Zhong Shenxiu had arrived near Ma Kexin and the others.

He first scanned the group, then reached out and picked up an academy brochure from the table to examine it.

"Are you recruiting here?" Zhong Shenxiu finished reading the brief introduction quickly.

"Yes!" Ma Kexin, overwhelmed with excitement, managed to squeeze out a single word after a long pause.

"Does your academy have a library?" Zhong Shenxiu looked at her and asked the question most important to him.

"Yes, our academy has two libraries, both fully accessible to students," Ma Kexin finally composed herself and launched into an enthusiastic introduction.

Zhong Shenxiu was intrigued and asked another question: "Is your teaching style closed-system or open?"

"Ours is open," Ma Kexin hurried to say. "Our academy employs a self-directed teaching model; we don't restrict student freedom. Students can choose courses based on their preferences, and there are no mandatory attendance requirements. As long as you pass the final exams, you're fine."

Zhong Shenxiu understood the general meaning: there was no such thing as "skipping class"—as long as you passed the exams, no one cared what you did. This was fundamentally different from the academy where Angelia studied!

Seeing Zhong Shenxiu fall into thought, Cecil quickly signaled to his sister, his expression clearly conveying: Sister, no matter what method you use, get him into your academy—seduction is fine! This is a great chance for you to make up for your mistake!

Ma Kexin certainly understood Zhong Shenxiu's importance. If he became a student here, things would be much easier later on. Then, wouldn't she be able to buy "War Relics" without worrying?

Imagine how much her father would flatter her then! Just thinking about it made Ma Kexin feel excited.

Driven by this thought, Ma Kexin began enthusiastically detailing the advantages of her academy. Her fervor stunned the student Monica beside her, who thought, Is this really my teacher?

"Hey, lady, you're so enthusiastic, do you have some hidden agenda?" Zhong Shenxiu interrupted Ma Kexin's pitch.

Gulp! Ma Kexin froze, unable to react for a long moment. Had she overdone it?

But just then, Zhong Shenxiu asked another question that left her even more bewildered.

"For two people, how much?"

Fortunately, Monica reacted quickly, stepping in to say, "Our tuition for each student for half a year is three thousand gold coins, not including accommodation or meal fees..."

"Is there a discount for two people?" Zhong Shenxiu shifted his gaze to Monica, asking about a discount.

"Discount! Discount!!" Ma Kexin quickly interjected, "For two people, the tuition for half a year is only five thousand gold coins!" If she could just get Zhong Shenxiu enrolled, she would happily pay out of her own pocket. Besides, this amount wasn't insignificant for her.

"Four thousand!" To her surprise, Zhong Shenxiu started haggling with her.

"Deal!" Ma Kexin quickly agreed, afraid Zhong Shenxiu would change his mind. Little did she know, Zhong Shenxiu was already feeling a bit of regret!

Zhong Shenxiu regretted not driving the price lower. Since she had agreed so readily, he should have asked for two thousand!

The enrollment procedure was simple: fill out a form and pay the fee, and it was done!

Ma Kexin excitedly handed the receipt and two academy emblems to Zhong Shenxiu, saying, "You are now a student of the 'Dublai Magic and Martial Academy'!"

"Can I borrow books inside now?" Zhong Shenxiu pocketed the items.

"You can't check out books yet, but you can read them inside the library!" Ma Kexin replied. Borrowing required a library card, which took at least a day to process.

However, for Zhong Shenxiu, being able to read was enough!

Without another word, he headed straight into the campus, a sly smile playing on his lips.

It seemed his campus life with Robin was about to begin!