The research into the Langan Magic Circle proved to be more intricate than anticipated. Especially integrating the refinement arrays into the structure was no simple task!
This was already the third day Zhong Shenxiu had been studying the magic circle, but thankfully, the time hadn't been wasted; he had gleaned some insight. At this pace, he was confident he would find the true nexus of its workings within a few more days!
Today, as usual, Zhong Shenxiu sat at the reading desk engrossed in his book. Just then, a high-pitched scream erupted from behind him, startling him badly.
Zhong Shenxiu turned, intent on seeing which idiot had made such a noise, but to his surprise, he saw a familiar face. It was Edela, the one who was always so loud! Though their encounter in the Forest of Magical Beasts had been fleeting, Zhong Shenxiu still remembered her!
Edela never expected to see those two mysterious children here—that was the impression Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had given her. Monica hadn't believed her when she claimed to have seen them near the magic shop, but now she had run into them again.
"You—you're that child from before?" Edela asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Zhong Shenxiu ignored her, turning his head back to continue reading.
Edela didn't press the issue. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Robin. However, after giving her a brief, cold stare, Robin looked away as well!
Edela blinked, slightly taken aback, but paid it no mind, being the sort of easygoing person she was. Even more surprisingly, she proceeded to sit down next to them without asking for permission from either Zhong Shenxiu or Robin.
Since the table and chairs were public property, Zhong Shenxiu said nothing, continuing his reading.
"Hey, what are you two doing all the way out here?" Edela whispered, careful not to speak loudly in the library, as the earlier shriek had been purely accidental.
Zhong Shenxiu chose silence; Robin chose to ignore her.
"Huh? How do you two have our academy badges? Are you students here? Why haven't I seen you before?" Edela finally noticed the badges pinned to their chests.
At the Dubre Magic and Martial Arts Academy, there was a rule that all students must wear their school badges while on campus. Of course, other magic and martial arts academies had similar regulations!
Seeing that Zhong Shenxiu and Robin still paid her no attention, Edela didn't get angry; instead, she grew more insistent, asking again: "I've been dying to know—how did you two manage to get out of the Forest of Magical Beasts? Did those Wind Chasing Wolves that died have anything to do with you two? How—"
"Robin, if she keeps chattering, please throw her out for me!" Zhong Shenxiu’s words cut off Edela’s ceaseless torrent.
Edela paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. She thought it was the funniest joke she’d ever heard. She was a head taller than both of them; how could they possibly throw her out?
Because of this very thought, Edela didn't take it seriously and pressed on: "Which year and class are you two in? Are you Mages or Swordsmen? Who are your teachers—"
As she prattled on, Robin abruptly stood up, her intention becoming perfectly clear!
Edela looked at Robin, not understanding why she had suddenly stood, but she soon grasped the meaning!
"Ah! Ah!" Another cry escaped Edela's lips. "You—what are you doing—"
The surrounding students who had been reading were disturbed by her voice and shot judgmental glares their way. But when they saw what was happening, every single one of them froze!
There stood Robin, effortlessly lifting Edela up. Edela struggled like a pig being slaughtered, but no matter how hard she thrashed, she couldn't break free.
Wh-what is happening?
Similar questions popped into the heads of all the onlookers. What they were witnessing was utterly unbelievable: a small, seemingly frail girl holding a full-grown person aloft.
What puzzled them even more was that this little girl was walking toward the window!
What was she planning to do?
This was the question everyone wanted answered, and Edela finally knew the answer, but it was too late!
Because of the summer heat, the library windows were open during the day, which saved Robin trouble. With a casual motion, she simply tossed Edela outside. She didn't use much force, yet Edela’s body sailed out through the opening.
A shout of alarm was unavoidable from Edela's throat, which only ceased when her backside landed safely!
"Thud!" A dull, clear sound echoed.
Fortunately, they were on the first floor, and there was a lawn and other vegetation outside. Fortunately—but despite these mitigating factors, Edela was still shaken to her core!
Robin didn't spare Edela a glance, walking straight back to her seat as if she had performed some trivial chore.
"Damn, was I seeing things?"
Some students looked at Robin as if she were an alien. They hadn't expected someone so utterly audacious to be in their academy. And the most bizarre part was that she was just a little girl!
"Who is that little girl? How can she be so bold as to throw someone out!" The crowd began to buzz. Since their volume control was lacking, Zhong Shenxiu ignored them.
Zhong Shenxiu thought he could finally return to his reading in peace, but unexpectedly, Edela's exaggerated wailing drifted in from outside, her cries so piercingly loud they were unbearable!
The only positive effect of Edela's crying was that the murmuring crowd immediately fell silent. Some looked toward Edela outside the window, while others looked at Robin, who had just sat down, seemingly awaiting the next development.
The wait wasn't long. Robin stood up again and walked back toward the window, presumably on some further instruction from Zhong Shenxiu.
This time, not a single student kept reading. Everyone sat poised, waiting to watch the show!
"Hey!" Robin said to Edela with a blank expression.
Edela tearfully looked at Robin, the one who had thrown her out. Though her shouting stopped, tears continued to stream down her face. After all, she had never been treated this way. Just after speaking two sentences, she had been inexplicably thrown out—a blow both physically and psychologically!
"My Master told me to tell you that if you make any more noise, she will knock you out!" Robin stated flatly, though everyone could sense she wasn't joking.
Edela was indeed terrified and quickly clamped her mouth shut!
It couldn't be blamed that she was so submissive; Robin’s display of power had thoroughly intimidated her, making her dare not even contemplate resistance!
This confirmed the saying: those who are usually very chatty are not necessarily strong!
When Robin returned to her seat, the surroundings became remarkably quiet; one could almost hear the pages turning. Those words hadn't only affected Edela but had also instilled a sense of awe in the other students!
The other students behaved themselves for a few reasons:
Most people who came to read were Mages, physically frail. Upon witnessing Robin's god-like strength, they naturally dared not test their luck.
As for the dual cultivators of magic and martial arts, though they weren't afraid of Robin's power, they chose silence based on the principle that it’s better to avoid trouble than invite it!
However, the peace didn't last long. The librarian walked in, immediately asking upon entry: "What happened here?"
All eyes instantly converged on Robin and Zhong Shenxiu, their expressions seemingly communicating: If there's trouble, find her; that girl started it!
The administrator followed the collective gaze. Seeing only two children quietly reading, he didn't think much of it, merely leaving behind a warning, "Please maintain silence," before departing!
The other students exchanged looks, their expressions suggesting: Damn, so kids get preferential treatment like this!? If this had happened to them, they’d surely face a full inquisition, maybe even have to write self-criticisms and receive demerits!
As for Edela, she had come to the library to look up some materials to complete her teacher's assignment. Now, not only had she failed to find her materials, but she had also been bodily thrown out. Her mood was utterly bleak!
When she was in a bad mood, she usually sought out Monica to vent. This time was no exception!
However, because her class schedule differed from Monica's, Monica was currently in class. The teacher leading the lecture was Marcolin.
Finally, class ended, and Marcolin was the first to exit the classroom—it seemed teachers always left first. (Perhaps there were regional exceptions.)
"Teacher Marcolin," Edela called out listlessly.
"Looking for Monica again?" Marcolin asked with a smile.
Edela nodded without elaborating.
"Monica, Edela is looking for you!" Marcolin kindly relayed the message.
Monica emerged from the classroom looking rather helpless.
"Alright, you two chat," Marcolin said, intending to leave.
But just as she turned and took a few steps away, Edela’s words caught her attention.
"Monica, I was bullied today," Edela said, hugging Monica with a wronged expression, tears already welling up.
Monica visibly stiffened, slightly confused about what strange mood her friend was in this time.
"What happened?" Monica asked out of concern.
"I was thrown out of the library, and my rear still hurts," Edela said, her face etched with grievance.
"You said you were thrown out?" Monica looked utterly disbelieving, almost bursting into laughter.
"I'm telling the truth!" Edela quickly clarified. "Do you know who it was? It was those two children we saw in the Forest of Magical Beasts!"
"Who? You mean Zhong Shenxiu and Robin??" At this, Monica could no longer remain calm.
Edela wondered how Monica knew the names of those two children. Just as she was about to ask, Marcolin, who had been preparing to leave, suddenly zipped back in front of them, asking with immense surprise:
"You said who??"