The day the mandatory freshman training for the 'Seventh Military Corps' concluded arrived, and the new students burst forth from the academy grounds like songbirds regaining their freedom.
The trainees were granted a full week of vacation after the military period, which only heightened their excitement. They gathered in groups of three or five, already discussing how to spend the ensuing week.
Wayne and the others returned on that very day, yet unlike the other freshmen, their faces lacked that look of lighthearted joy. Each one maintained an exceptionally placid expression; if anything could be discerned, it was an unusual gleam flickering in their eyes, as if embodying some deeply held conviction.
The entire demeanor of this group had shifted completely from before; their previous restlessness had been supplanted by an air of seasoned maturity.
They had endured too much over the past month; repeated transformations had smoothed away all their rough edges.
Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were not with them; they had clearly departed long ago. Upon returning to the academy, these individuals bypassed their dormitories and headed straight for the classrooms!
Arriving at the classroom, they settled into their seats as if preparing for a normal lecture. No one spoke; their expressions suggested they were lost in deep contemplation.
"We are still alive!" After an indeterminate amount of time, Wayne suddenly spoke, thick with emotion.
"Yes, we are still alive!" Paul echoed the sentiment, yet none of them could manage any genuine happiness.
The other freshmen would be saying things like, "We're back!" but these few were simply marveling that they had survived. What a profound difference that implied!
"Only now do I realize how much I wasted before. I finally understand what Teacher Zhong was trying to convey to us!" Daisy suddenly declared.
The group exchanged glances, and then, with uncanny synchronicity, they declared as one: "We must become stronger!"
Meanwhile, regarding Zhong Shenxiu, although he had been drilling those students for the past month, his own gains were considerable.
Firstly, the items he tasked the students with collecting were all rare treasures and exotic artifacts. Secondly, he had developed numerous new products that would be ready to launch in the near future.
During this month, the various branches of the "Dark Guild" had finalized their locations and were now engaged in the initial stages of inventory transfer. Formal opening was imminent!
"Young Master, many families wish to discuss cooperation matters with us. How should we respond?" Clyde reported respectfully on the month's progress.
"From now on, you and Caine will handle these matters," Zhong Shenxiu stated lazily; he held little interest in such affairs.
"Yes!" Clyde accepted the responsibility without false modesty, knowing this was a sign of Zhong Shenxiu’s trust in him, a trust he fully intended to uphold!
"Anything else?" Zhong Shenxiu inquired further.
"Young Master, we currently lack a unified symbol of authority. The branch openings are pressing, and new recruits are being trained. Without a unified token, managing the branches across different regions will be difficult!" Clyde stated calmly.
Zhong Shenxiu regarded him approvingly. They were indeed lacking symbols of authority. Setting aside other concerns, they needed at least something to signify his position as President; otherwise, if he visited his own branches later, he might even be turned away!
Moreover, without a standard token, executing certain commands would be challenging!
"Very well, I understand. I will provide you with the crafted tokens shortly for distribution," Zhong Shenxiu said lightly.
After a few more words, Clyde took his leave.
Zhong Shenxiu then turned his attention to contemplating the creation of these tokens.
As symbols of identity, these tokens needed to be impossible to counterfeit, possessing unique anti-forgery features. Furthermore, since they represented different levels of authority, the tokens should vary from one another, ideally being recognizable at a glance. Additionally, they should preferably incorporate a seal function.
After some deep thought, Zhong Shenxiu formed a plan and immediately took out the "Phosphorus King Stone" to begin forging.
The reason for choosing the "Phosphorus King Stone" was its unparalleled hardness; it could only be refined by the True Samadhi Fire, making forgery impossible for anyone in this world!
Although they were mere tokens, Zhong Shenxiu forged them as if they were magical artifacts, naturally incorporating specialized functions! Nearly an hour later, Zhong Shenxiu had successfully crafted dozens of these tokens. Seeing that he had enough, he promptly summoned Clyde back.
When Clyde saw the tokens and learned of their formidable functions, he was stunned into silence.
If these were mere tokens, they would undoubtedly be the most magnificent tokens in existence, far surpassing the quality of the very merchandise the Guild sold!
Although the tokens shared the same color and size, their shapes were distinctly different, and the intricate mystical patterns etched upon them varied widely.
The token belonging to Zhong Shenxiu, the supreme leader, bore a solar insignia, while the tokens for Robin and Caine were engraved with a crescent moon. The remaining tokens featured star shapes, and others, cloud motifs!
With this, an item on "Token Recognition" would be added to the training manuals for new employees!
Within the City Guard Residence, Wayne walked forward. Perhaps distracted, he collided with a serving maid around a corner.
The maid, burdened by a large stack of items obscuring her vision and caught by surprise, dropped everything she was carrying onto the floor, tumbling down herself.
Looking up and seeing it was Wayne, the maid gasped in alarm and quickly bowed, apologizing profusely: "Young Master, I beg your pardon, Young Master, I am so sorry. This servant was blind, I apologize..."
However, to her utter astonishment, Wayne did not erupt in anger. Instead, he asked with clear concern, "Are you alright?"
Huh? The maid thought she must have misheard. She looked up again, only to be further shocked; Wayne was actually helping her gather the items scattered across the ground.
"Young Master, I—I'll do it! I'll gather them!" The maid quickly and deftly retrieved the fallen objects, though her heart was filled with confusion—why did the Young Master seem like a completely different person now that he was back? He wasn't like this before!
Wayne didn't reprimand the maid. After helping her collect everything, he left. Unbeknownst to him, his mother witnessed the entire exchange from a distance and permitted herself a knowing smile.
At dinner, Wayne's mother spoke with deep sincerity: "Son, you have changed so much since returning. Your father and I are both delighted that you have become so sensible. We discussed it just now; if you truly wish to attend school in another city, your father and I will..."
"Mother, there's no need. I am quite content at this academy right now!" Wayne quickly cut her off. He had indeed changed; previously, he couldn't wait to get as far away from his parents' watchful eyes as possible!
In truth, Wayne had come to realize that having Zhong Shenxiu as their homeroom teacher was an immense stroke of fortune for them! He knew that without Zhong Shenxiu, his life might have ended up being an inconsequential speck in the shadows of the department, merely serving others!
Of course, there was another reason: he and Paul and the others had forged a deep, unbreakable friendship; they had survived peril together—a bond that could not simply be severed.
Wayne’s parents exchanged glances, seeing disbelief reflected in the other's eyes!
In another mansion, a couple was engaged in conversation. "Master, I think our daughter has changed tremendously; she doesn't seem as willful as before!" the woman stated earnestly.
"More than that, Daisy even bought me several new sets of clothes, saying the weather is turning cold and I should take care of my health. It feels like the child suddenly matured overnight!" the middle-aged man mused softly, a hint of gratification in his expression.
"Oh? Daisy bought you things too? Hehe!" the woman chuckled.
"What do you think caused such a significant change in our daughter? I haven't been able to figure it out for the last few days!" the man looked to his wife for insight.
"I spoke with her once. Although she didn't explicitly state the reason, she spoke at length about her class and her homeroom teacher. It’s clear she’s been having a very good time at the academy, and it seems she’s made many excellent friends!"
"Is it because of school?" the man asked, somewhat puzzled, as Daisy had attended school before without such a dramatic shift.
"Oh, right! Our daughter told me something rather interesting!" the woman suddenly broke into a playful smile.
"What interesting thing?"
"You won't believe this, but our daughter said their homeroom teacher is just a child, only a few years old!" Having delivered the news, the woman watched her husband's reaction closely.
"What? Are you joking with me?" The man visibly started.
"Haha! I thought Daisy was joking with me too at the time, but she insisted it was true, repeatedly. Now I genuinely want to meet our daughter's homeroom teacher and ask what method they used to raise our daughter so well!" the woman said, half-joking, half-serious.
"Hmm, I want to see him too," the man replied quite seriously.
Several parents had noticed the transformation in their children. While feeling pleased, they had also developed a strong curiosity about this unseen young homeroom teacher.
To express their gratitude and perhaps arrange a meeting, these parents created "Thank You Banners" and flocked to the academy. To their disappointment, Zhong Shenxiu had not been on campus for several days.
Having no recourse, the parents returned home disheartened!
After they left, the school administrators were left perplexed. They couldn't fathom what Zhong Shenxiu had done to warrant such prominent parents delivering "Thank You Banners." Had he somehow made those students exceptionally powerful?
The thought of Zhong Shenxiu's own capabilities brought expressions of eager anticipation to the leaders' faces. They resolved that they would only truly know the extent of the students' changes when the "Freshman Tournament" commenced!
The so-called "Freshman Tournament" at the Domestic Magic and Martial Arts Academy was an annual event, always held two weeks after the military training concluded. Its purpose was twofold: to spur the freshmen's ambition, and to gauge the effectiveness of the recent military conditioning.
The week-long vacation passed quickly. When the freshmen returned to the academy and heard about the upcoming "Freshman Tournament," they all appeared eager to compete. Beyond the enticing prizes, the mere chance at establishing a "Freshman Ranking" was enough to drive them wild!
This was an unparalleled opportunity for self-demonstration. Every student who possessed even a moderate level of skill immediately began preparing for the "Freshman Tournament." Consequently, the atmosphere of study across the academy reached unprecedented heights!
In Class Seven, the freshmen who had secured entry through connections also set their sights on this "Freshman Tournament." They weren't after the prizes; they were fighting for pride, determined to show the other classes that Class Seven was in no way inferior to any other!
To this end, Wayne and the others convened a special meeting primarily to discuss preparation and training strategies!
Having been drilled by Zhong Shenxiu for a month, these students now understood how to train themselves and, crucially, what they still lacked!
"Daisy, you take a few girls to the library later to select some practical books, and then we can discuss and study them together; that should be more effective! Meanwhile, Paul and I will look for suitable training grounds, and we will proceed with our plan," Wayne said after some consideration.
"Understood!" Daisy nodded, her expression serious. "We absolutely cannot let the other classes look down on us again!"
"We don't have much time left to train. The other classes are already deeply involved in their preparations; we must seize every available moment!" Paul interjected.
The others nodded, their expressions firm and resolute!
In the faculty dormitory.
"Sister Lina, the 'Freshman Tournament' is starting! I never thought I'd get to participate; it’s been ages since I’ve sparred with anyone!" Marco Xin said, full of anticipation.
Elina shot her a sidelong glance. "Then why are you still lounging around? Don't you know the other freshmen are practicing diligently right now?"
Marco Xin smiled. "Don't worry, Sister Lina. Although I am a freshman, my ability isn't that of a novice. I used to be a teacher, you know!"
"And you're proud of that!" Elina retorted, slightly exasperated.
"Oh, by the way, Sister Lina, I heard that in this 'Freshman Tournament,' mages and swordsmen compete separately, right?" Marco Xin inquired.
"Yes," Elina confirmed.
"Then what about those who cultivate both magic and martial arts?" Marco Xin asked, curious.
"That's flexible. They can participate in both competitions or register for only one."
"Right, Sister Lina, do you think I can bring back the championship? I heard the prizes are quite generous. I could make a nice little fortune!" Marco Xin's eyes glazed over at the thought of the prize money and rewards.
Now that she had resigned from her teaching position, her source of income was gone, and she was spending down her savings. Mentioning prize money naturally made her excited!
"Xin, did you tell Uncle Donald about your resignation?" Elina casually asked.
That single question instantly deflated Marco Xin's excitement.
"You... you haven't told him yet, have you?" Elina’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Marco Xin nodded, looking thoroughly wronged.
At that moment, Elina was completely speechless.
Little did they know, Marco Xin's father had already learned of her whereabouts through Cecil and might arrive here in the next few days!