“You’re not late today, surprisingly?”
An angelic winged figure teleported to the Fiore Academy’s transfer point. The moment Merlin appeared, he saw Lucy standing there, waiting for him.
“Who is this child?”
Lucy noticed Merlin had brought a girl today, and she looked somewhat familiar, as if Lucy had seen her somewhere before.
“Don’t worry, she won’t cause any trouble. She’s just here to experience the learning atmosphere. I’m off to class now.”
Merlin quickly pulled Hilya away, but Lucy continued to follow closely behind him.
‘Why is she here? Is she that free?’
After Merlin entered the classroom, Lucy followed him inside, even sitting down with the students.
“Do you want to sit down there too?”
Merlin looked at Hilya, who was standing on the podium just like him.
“What about Xiao Qing?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing flew up, hovering in the air. Xiao Qing gazed down at Hilya with a hint of pity in their eyes.
“Wow! I want to do that too!”
Hilya, however, completely missed the meaning in Xiao Qing’s gaze. Instead, she clamored, demanding that Merlin make her float as well.
“…”
Merlin felt utterly helpless. Hadn’t they agreed she would be well-behaved? Furthermore, Xiao Qing was a natural spirit, so flying was entirely natural for them. But Hilya, what was she trying to achieve? Though Merlin certainly could make Hilya float.
“Big Brother, please, please, please~”
Hilya employed a combination of persistent nagging and coquettish pleading with Merlin.
Merlin could barely look. Hilya truly lacked any of the poise and image expected of an imperial princess; she was simply an unreasonable, mischievous child.
“I’m flying too.”
Ultimately, Merlin couldn’t resist Hilya’s relentless pestering and adorable pleas. He gave in, allowing her to float. The thirty students below watched, utterly dumbfounded, while Lucy merely acknowledged that this was still acceptable.
“The timing is just right, neither too much nor too little. Let us begin class.”
The time had just arrived for class to officially start, and the academy bells chimed.
“So, regarding the assignment I gave you yesterday, have you all thought it through? If not, I can grant you a little more time.”
“Before that, I shall take attendance.”
“Hera.”
“Here.”
“Hazet.”
“Here.”
“Kro.”
“Here.”
“Cola.”
“Here.”
“Elisa.”
“Here.”
“Keffir.”
“Here!”
“Quite a resonant voice. Next, Charlotte.”
“Here.”
“This surname is a bit long, Gloria.”
“Your humble servant is present.”
“Lyon.”
“…”
When Merlin called out the name of a young man named Lyon, the boy simply raised his hand. His entire demeanor was one of profound silence.
“Alright, has anyone not been called?”
After calling the last name, Merlin double-checked the headcount.
“Excellent, all thirty are present. Let the lesson commence.”
“Who would like to start? No need to rush; I will call on you.”
Seeing that every student below the podium was eager to answer, Merlin had no choice but to call on them one by one.
Merlin: “Hera, you go first.”
Hera: “Yes, Teacher!”
Merlin: “No need to rush your answer. First, please introduce yourself.”
Hera: “Alright. My name is Hera Dorell. As you can all see, I am a noble, and my family has been physicians for generations.”
Hera: “I enjoy cultivating flowers and raising small animals. I also have many commoner friends. Since fate has brought us together here, let us cherish this time and friendship. Thank you.”
Applause erupted instantly. Except for Lyon, who remained silent, Hera seemed to be getting along quite well with the rest of the class.
Merlin: “Very good. Now, state your thoughts.”
Hera: “Because my family’s profession is medicine, I have chosen a late-game support path. I wish to help more people and relieve them of suffering.”
Merlin: “Mm, next.”
The next student was Hazet Bleim, a commoner boy from an ordinary background. His father was a front-line warrior, and at home, he only had his mother and a sister five years his junior. He possessed a rather cheerful disposition.
“I want to become a true man like my father, so I choose close combat!”
Hazet didn’t forget to flex his biceps, revealing a bright, white smile.
“Excellent, next is Kro.”
Kro Diat was slender and somewhat undernourished, yet his willpower was astonishing. He possessed the highest spiritual attribute among the thirty students in the class. He had always lived with his grandparents; his father, like Hazet’s, was a front-line warrior, but he had died in battle against the beastmen. His mother passed away the following year after hearing the news.
Kro: “Teacher, can I be like you?”
Merlin: “Are you asking if you can master all priest paths like me?”
Kro: “Yes!”
Merlin: “It is possible, yes, but the path is not easy. One careless mistake could lead to a magical overload and self-detonation. Do you still wish for it? I am quite serious, you know.”
Kro: “Teacher, I am serious too!”
Merlin: “Such ambition, I admire you. If you ever have any questions, you can always come to me.”
Kro: “Thank you, Teacher!”
Merlin: “Take a seat. Next, Cola.”
Cola: “Teacher, I’m here.”
Merlin: “Do you have any siblings named Sprite?”
Cola: “No.”
Merlin: “Oh? Have you gained weight?”
Cola: “Have I? My mom says men look better a bit chubby.”
Cola’s remark made the entire class burst into laughter, and Cola laughed along with them. The loudest laughter in the class came from Hilya, who was floating and enjoying the show, while Xiao Qing beside her continued to watch her with a look of utter bewilderment.
“Alright, let’s stop the jokes here.”
Merlin ended the jest, prompting Cola to continue his introduction.
Cola Rasga came from a family that was once noble but had since fallen into decline. All his immediate family members were still alive, and he was the only child. He had a doting merchant uncle, making Cola, in essence, the family’s treasure.
Cola: “Although my mom doesn’t want me to go to the battlefield, I think Teacher looks really cool, and I want to be like Kro too.”
Merlin: “Are you not afraid of hardship?”
Cola: “My mom said a man shouldn’t be afraid of hardship.”
Merlin: “I’ll grudgingly accept that reason.”
Cola: “Really? That’s great!”
Elisa, with her somewhat gentle nature, chose the long-range support path. Keffir, afflicted with restless movement syndrome, opted for a mid-to-long-range throwing path. Charlotte, an aggressive young woman, chose close combat. Gloria, a noble young lady, delivered a lengthy discourse stating that she, too, wished to be like Kro and Cola, for the simple reason that she was a noble. The silent Lyon also chose a multi-path approach. As for the others, they all diligently selected a single path, believing they genuinely couldn’t manage multi-path development. And with that, this segment came to an end.