Chapter : 70

"But how are you planning to get back?" Yan Yunqing was a little worried. In Lilian's current state, would it be a bit dangerous for her to go back by herself?

"Why don't I take you back."

After swallowing the food in her mouth, Lilian shook her head, "No need. Later on, when you guys go to Sigret, you will encounter a forest.

That forest is connected to the Norman Forest, which is the periphery of the elven territory."

"That entire forest is covered by the Mother Tree's root system, which will protect the elves.

Once I enter the forest, I can absorb the energy scattered within it, and I won't just fall asleep at the drop of a hat."

This was the first time Yan Yunqing had heard of this. "Is that so? Then I just need to drop you off outside the forest?"

Lilian nodded: "Mhm, don't worry about me!"

She paused, "I'll be back soon. If you run into any trouble, just use that ability of yours—if you call me, I will definitely come and save you."

Yan Yunqing flicked her forehead, "What are you thinking? If I'm in danger, can't I run on my own? By the time you get here after I call you, I'd probably be cold."

Lilian pouted: "Well, you can look for me if you miss me, too."

Yan Yunqing replied perfunctorily: "Alright, alright, got it, got it."

Lilian snorted and continued to bury her head in her food.

After Lilian finished eating everything, Yan Yunqing used the Cleaning Spell to clean all the dirty bowls and plates with a single click before returning them to the house servant who did the cooking.

The person looked at the spotless bowls and plates, silent: Did they even lick the plates clean?

Thanks to Lin Nuo's invitation, Yan Yunqing got to sleep in a tent for a night. A tent was certainly not as comfortable as an inn, but it was definitely much more comfortable than a carriage. When Yan Yunqing woke up the next day, he felt refreshed and invigorated.

They were no longer far from Sigret. As the convoy passed by a forest, Yan Yunqing temporarily bid farewell to Lilian, with whom he had not been separated for a long time since he transmigrated.

After a few more days of travel, they finally arrived at Bumas City.

This was the closest city to Sigret Academy. Like Sigret, it did not belong to any power and was purely neutral.

Two city guards stood at the city gate, motionless like statues.

Yan Yunqing took a closer look and saw that they were actually two humanoid puppets.

Their facial features were vivid, and even their eyes could move. If not for their skin having an inhuman, grayish-white color, Yan Yunqing would have thought they were real people.

"These were developed a few years ago by a teacher from the academy's Alchemy department." Lin Nuo explained to Yan Yunqing when he noticed his gaze was fixed on the city guards at the gate.

After Lilian left, Yan Yunqing simply boarded Lin Nuo's carriage, where he could chat with Lin Nuo and gather some information along the way.

"Because Bumas City is very close to the school, and this is a neutral territory not governed by any country, the guards used to be students and teachers from the academy with free time. Later, after Teacher Mavis created these puppets, the puppets took over as guards."

Yan Yunqing found these puppets quite interesting. He would see if he could get the blueprints from this Teacher Mavis later.

As the carriage approached, the puppet city guard stretched out a hand to stop it. Without speaking, it simply pointed to a piece of paper posted on the wall nearby.

Lin Nuo explained: "Because the puppets Teacher Mavis made can't speak yet, the city entry regulations can only be posted at the city gate. You just need to do as the notice says."

As he spoke, Lin Nuo took out a badge and waved it in front of the puppet city guard. He injected mana, and the badge gradually lit up.

The puppet city guard stared at the badge, and its grayish-white eyes also lit up for a moment before it stepped aside to make way.

"If you're an academy student, you just need to show your academy badge and activate it. If you're not a student but a resident of the city, there's also a special way to enter. If you're neither, you need to show proof of identity and register."

The others in the convoy took out their identity documents and lined up one by one in front of another puppet city guard to register.

Yan Yunqing was thoughtful. He hadn't expected the management of Bumas City to be so strict, almost on par with Bartovita's capital. In a sense, it was even stricter than the capital.

Fortunately, after taking Xavier's letter of recommendation, Yan Yunqing had also taken his luggage along.

After rummaging through his bag, Yan Yunqing quickly found Xavier's identity document and got in line to register his identity.

Successfully entering Bumas City, the residents here seemed to have a high happiness index. Even if the clothes they wore were not luxurious, they were very comfortable. From time to time, someone wearing a magic robe or carrying a longsword would pass by.

The streets on both sides were also lined with a dazzling array of alchemy shops, potion shops, wand shops, weapon shops...

It was indeed very obvious that this was Sigret Academy's territory.

After entering the city together, Lin Nuo stopped. "I need to head back to the academy now. Non-academy students are not allowed in there, so we might have to part ways here.

However, my men will take you to find a place to stay. After you've settled down and I've finished my business at the academy, I'll treat you to a meal."

Yan Yunqing shook his head, "No hurry, do you know where the academy's administrative office is?"

Lin Nuo was stunned, "There's one in the city, at..."

He thought for a moment, then said: "How about this, if you're going to the office now, we're heading the same way. I'll take you there directly."

Yan Yunqing's eyes lit up. That was for the best.

Lin Nuo didn't expect Yan Yunqing to be serious about taking the entrance examination. He had never heard of a precedent where someone could take the entrance examination after missing the academy's student recruitment in August and September. However, Yan Yunqing spoke with such confidence that he believed him.

He led Yan Yunqing through a series of twists and turns into a small alley.

Yan Yunqing leaned back tactically: If he couldn't tell that Lin Nuo had no ill intentions, he would be suspecting Lin Nuo of leading him down a small path to rob him blind.

...Wait, he wasn't exactly a "blind" target, was he?

Finally, Yan Yunqing followed Lin Nuo into a residential area and knocked on the door of one of the houses.

Yan Yunqing glanced at the unfinished vegetable leaves placed by the door, then at the burly man who opened the door, who had [Lv.87] above his head and was still holding a hoe.

Yan Yunqing: ...A great hermit hides in the bustling city, is that it?

"Oh? Isn't this little Lin Nuo?" The man held the hoe in one hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel draped over his neck with the other. "Are you back from home? Hey, who's this little friend behind you?"

The man saw Yan Yunqing behind Lin Nuo, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes when he discovered his level had already reached thirty-eight.

"This is a friend I met on the road." Lin Nuo introduced, "We encountered a level forty-three demonic beast on the way.

My guards were no match for it, and our formation was almost broken. It was Xavier who saved me and my guards."

"Level forty-three." The man was even more surprised. He moved his body that was blocking the door. "Come on in."

After speaking, he walked into the house with the hoe, patting the mud off his pants along the way.

Lin Nuo was the first to follow the man into the house, with Yan Yunqing close behind.

The man pulled out a glass cup from somewhere and placed it on the table. "If you want water, help yourself."

Yan Yunqing didn't stand on ceremony either. He reached out, picked up the kettle on the stove, weighed it in his hand, and poured himself a cup of hot water.

A trace of admiration flashed in the burly man's eyes. He liked this kind of straightforward and unpretentious person.

This was how a man should be, unlike those mages who were always long-winded and went on about etiquette and grace.

If you asked him, all that etiquette and grace couldn't compare to a swordsman's knightly spirit!

A man should be more straightforward!

"Teacher Walkley?" Lin Nuo noticed that the burly man's background seemed to be on fire.

He called out once with no response, so he could only wave his hand in front of the man's eyes, then keenly retracted it quickly.

Sure enough, the next second, the burly man quickly raised his hand and slapped at what was in front of him—hitting empty air.

If Lin Nuo hadn't pulled his hand back quickly, judging by the whooshing sound from the man's palm, he probably would have ended up with a fracture.

Walkley: "Hm? Oh, sorry, I was just spacing out."

He tried to raise a kind smile, but in everyone's eyes, the bearded Walkley's smile could only be described as menacingly kind. He didn't look like a good person at all!

"Oh right, Lin Nuo, what are you planning to do, bringing your good friend here?" Walkley asked, "Looking for someone? I can help you pass a message to the academy."

"That's not it." Lin Nuo shook his head and looked towards Yan Yunqing. Seeing that Yan Yunqing didn't seem to be planning to speak immediately, he spoke on his behalf, "Xavier is here to take the school's entrance examination."

Walkley showed a stunned expression, sticking his pinky finger out to dig at his ear, "Did I hear you right? Entrance examination?

It's November now. Our academy's entrance examination should have already ended in September. I thought you knew, Lin Nuo—didn't you come to help during the recruitment this time?"

"Or could it be—" he struck a pensive pose, "have our academy's rules changed this year? Strange, how come I haven't received any news?"

Walkley's exaggerated performance amused Lin Nuo, making the atmosphere around them much more cheerful.

It was also a tactful way of informing Yan Yunqing that the academy was no longer recruiting. If Yan Yunqing truly didn't know that the academy had stopped recruiting, these words wouldn't make him too embarrassed.

This was a man who looked rough on the outside but was delicate on the inside.

Yan Yunqing made a mental note, while simultaneously pulling a letter from his clothes and placing it on the table.

"I know this year's recruitment period for the academy is over, but I'm not taking the ordinary entrance examination."

His fingertip pressed down on the letter, pushing it towards Walkley. "Teacher, this is my letter of recommendation. You can check it—I'm here to take the examination for recommended admission."

Walkley was stunned for a moment. He picked up the letter from the table, tore open the envelope in a few moves, and scanned the contents.

His gaze paused slightly on the signature at the end, and the way he looked at Yan Yunqing again gradually changed.

"I see..." Walkley mused, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten that our school even has recommended admission."

"I've read your letter of recommendation, but whether you can take the entrance examination still requires the principal's approval. Besides, preparing for the entrance examination is very complicated—"

"How about this!" Walkley decided with a clap of his hands, "I'll take you and your letter of recommendation to see the principal right now. Let her decide directly if you can take the examination."

As he spoke, Walkley winked at Yan Yunqing. The wink from the burly uncle sent a chill down Yan Yunqing's spine. He couldn't help but lean back, feeling a wave of goosebumps on his arm.

"Ahem... Okay, thank you very much, Teacher."

Walkley waved his hand: "You're welcome, I'm just following the rules. In that case, come with me, I'll take you into the school—oh right, Lin Nuo, you're going back to school too, right? Then let's go together."

Lin Nuo hadn't expected Yan Yunqing to actually have a way to take the entrance examination. Hearing this, he paused for a moment before nodding, "Oh, okay."

However, recommended admission? Did their school have such an admission method? He'd never heard of it. Could it be some special channel...?

But even the princes and princesses of the royal family had to come for the entrance examination at the designated time.

Strange, isn't Aldrich just a baron?