Chapter 179

Chapter 179: Tranquil Moon Lake

In her previous life, the legend of the Paradise Bird was beautiful, but it was merely a pretty bird. However, the current Ivar World was a world beyond the ordinary, where past mundane things seemed to be veiled in colorful and fantastical glass, brimming with countless possibilities.

Lolan Hill recounted the beautiful story from her memories to Ye Ling, while some students around them quietly listened in.

Unbeknownst to them, the magical motorcar was filled only with her voice, a distant and ethereal sound that carried the legend clearly to everyone’s ears.

Fallen leaves from the mountains scattered along the roadside. After recent rain, small puddles could occasionally be seen on the road, though they were shallow enough not to submerge even the soles of shoes. Yet, the serene surface reflected the azure sky, mingling with the fragrance of trees and grass from the mountain, bringing a refreshing and comfortable sensation.

After Lolan Hill finished her story, the motorcar gradually resumed its light chatter. Students talked softly, looking out the window at the scenery. Occasionally, young men and women would sneak glances at their admired opposite sex.

Thus, amidst the forest wind, the magical motorcar turned over a large hill. Finally, a sapphire-like lake came into view, and beside it stood a fortress built with white and blue stone bricks. Most of the structure was on land, with parts submerged underwater. Among these, a white stone tower stood partly in the lake, connected to the main structure by a bridge in the air.

Overall, due to the vastness of the lake, this tall fortress did not seem particularly large and did not disrupt the tranquil landscape of the lake.

“We’ve arrived. This is one of the four major academies, the Lakeside Fortress.”

The accompanying teacher introduced, then parked the motorcar on a lawn outside the fortress. The students began to orderly disembark.

The fortress by the lakeside was quieter compared to the central school building. Upon closer inspection, green moss could be seen on the walls and stone barriers, and occasionally, vines entwined around the pillars of the gates and corridors, adding an ancient beauty to the architecture.

Some senior students moved through the corridors and the fortress. Some wore black and red uniforms, others ink green and black ones, with badges pinned to their chests depicting a blue lake and a white castle.

These seniors carried textbooks and notes in their hands, while others had just returned from the sky, having completed their lessons somewhere. They occasionally exchanged a few words before parting ways.

Lolan Hill and her group passed through the corridors inside the castle, turning through several inner courtyards and rooms, arriving at a dining hall by the water.

“This is the Lakeside Restaurant of the Fortress Academy. It’s noon now, and everyone must be hungry,” the teacher said, arranging the students into groups of seven or eight to sit and rest. They would soon serve some special dishes from the Fortress Academy.

The girls from Lolan Hill’s dormitory and Bumansa’s sat together, close to the lakeside, separated from the clear lake water by a wooden railing and a few meters of distance.

Compared to the spacious and grand dining hall in the central school building, the Fortress Academy’s dining hall was much smaller and distributed in multiple places, each with its own unique charm. Lolan Hill and her companions were currently in the “Lakeside Restaurant.”

During the wait for the meal, some students felt bored and dipped their hands into the water. The emerald-green, transparent lake water brought a chill, invigorating many freshmen. Although it was a new year, some corners of the forest still hadn’t melted snow, and the quiet lake might still have remnants of winter ice.

After sitting for a while, lunch was served, and the aroma of food slowly permeated the tables.

“What is this? It’s quite delicious, crunchy.”

Alena scooped out a spoonful of white diced bits, with tiny red garnishes.

“This should be lotus root.”

Lolan Hill also curiously tried a spoonful, its slightly sour taste very crisp, instantly matching her memory.

“Night Ling, is this common in the East?”

Lolan Hill asked the girl beside her, who had twin tails in beige, with white and light pink decorations at the ends. Her feet, clad in white stockings, hovered slightly above the ground, gently swaying under the seat, exuding a somewhat cute aura.

“Yes, my grandmother occasionally uses this to make soup with spare ribs,” Night Ling replied softly after looking at the lotus root bits.

“It sounds delicious,” Lily praised from the side. She came from the Southern Region of the Empire and had eaten many delicacies since childhood, but this kind of food from the East was relatively rare.

“Is it grown in the soil? When I go back home, I’ll plant some,” Alena speculated.

“Mm, it does grow in the soil, but I doubt you can manage it,” Letis commented with a fan in hand, a mischievous look in her eyes.

“I raised quite a few flowers when I was young; planting a small plant wouldn’t be a problem. Letis, on the other hand, being a lady, has never done farm work,” Alena responded discontentedly.

“This…”

Lolan Hill heard Alena’s bold statement and wanted to laugh, but explained instead.

“Lotus roots do grow in the soil, but actually, they grow in freshwater soil. We eat the roots, while the stems and rods are in the water, and the leaves and flowers are on the surface.”

“Hmm, it sounds quite complex.”

Alena, slowly eating her food, became less inclined to plant anything. After all, her hometown was in the Southern Archipelago, where although there was plenty of seawater, fresh water was scarce, making it too luxurious to grow lotus roots.

As they ate lunch, they chatted idly and compared the food at the Fortress Academy. Compared to the central school building, the flavors here leaned more towards freshness. Lotus root, vegetables, freshwater fish, and fruit-based dishes were common, while other meats were rarer, with less oil used. Cooking methods favored Eastern styles, primarily boiling, stir-frying, steaming, and mixing, without frying or grilling.

“Look over there!”

“What?”

“How impressive!”

On the other side of the lake, hundreds of meters away, two figures constantly crossed paths on the lake’s surface. One wore white, the other red. Cold sword light created silken streams of water, and the rapidly moving figures left trails of residual images in the view.

“That must be a sparring match between seniors. How fast! It’s hard to see clearly.”

Students nearby exclaimed in amazement, and the match across the lake gradually intensified.

“Yudo, your sword isn’t as fast as before, hahaha.”

A young man with short black hair, dressed in a tight red ceremonial robe, wielded a slender sword that left nine shadows in the air, like gray curtains. The metallic clash echoed in the air. He laughed heartily, swinging his sword, his speed increasing as deep red magic covered both his sword and body. His steps on the water created light ripples, like a gentle rain.

Unlike the red figure, the young man in white had a limited range of movement. His figure seemed to only move within an invisible circle, dodging and weaving. The red figure enveloped the white circle like a faint background, with sparks of sword clashes continuously appearing at the boundary.

“Really? But I feel stronger.”

Called Yudo, the young man from the East spoke with interest, unperturbed. They were long-time friends who understood each other’s speech styles well.

A silver sword in the air swung in a large arc, the water on the blade scattered into tiny droplets. As the tip of the sword cut through the air, several streams of water rose from the lake beneath, like silver threads blocking the opponent’s evasive movements. Eventually, it forced the opponent to retreat until hit by a follow-up strike.

“I concede.”

Seeing his slender sword fall into the water, the black-haired young man conceded decisively, but several streams of water continued along the direction of the fight, flying toward the lakeside restaurant.

“Oops.”

—

Thank you to Zuiqiang Jia Shengren, Book Friend 20200817093141830, Xin Fei Yang, and Shang Shan Ru Shui for your support.

(End of Chapter)