Chapter 184

Chapter 184: The Temple and the Small Town

“But I still want to give it a try.”

After talking for a while atop the city wall, Lolan Hill heard Jielanen say something before she left. Even if he was rejected, he did not want to give up.

Growing up surrounded by cunning noble ladies in the high society, he had grown weary and tired. Now, when he finally felt a genuine spark of interest towards someone with such a unique and gentle demeanor, it was impossible for him to let go just because of a single sentence.

Lolan Hill could only helplessly shake her head and leave, heading towards the gathering point for their return journey.

Once all the freshmen gathered, the teachers took attendance and they boarded the vehicles one after another, returning to their residences.

Magical motorcars like these were probably only found in Emanas or the capital of Cangcui. Other places would rarely see them. First, they were expensive to build. Second, maintaining them required alchemists who were well-versed in the craft. Third, they needed flat roads. Even in the country of Ruerna, due to the poor cost-effectiveness, there were only a few prototypes produced. Most resources were allocated to defending Cangcui.

After touring and visiting the Southern Bridge Academy, Lolan Hill and the others were heading west tomorrow to the Temple of Contemplation.

The four major academic levels in Emanas each had their own unique locations. The Southern Unfading Bridge naturally included rivers and fortresses. The eastern lakeside city-fortress was surrounded by forests and lakes. The northern lookout tower overlooked mountains and snow-capped peaks. The western region was the most suitable for living in a vast plain.

An arc-shaped wall extended from the northern mountains to the Blue Brook River in the south, dividing the extensive plain into two parts. Inside was the Temple of Contemplation, while outside was a slightly lower town.

The Temple Academy gave off a peculiar feeling, as if it was a blend of bustling and tranquility. The areas near the main road were very lively, with many school employees and carriages coming and going, some delivering goods, others commuting to work.

The employees at Emanas were employed on a contractual basis, mainly residing in the small town to the west. Here, they had their children and families, along with civilian facilities such as windmills, mills, shops, and markets. During weekdays, they lived in temporary accommodations within the academy. Those who lived far away returned home every few days, while those closer stayed at home daily, thus increasing the foot traffic on the roads.

However, buildings further away from the main road inside the academy appeared much quieter.

Approaching a grand temple, no one was in sight. Tall stone pillars cast long shadows under the sunlight. Entering the temple, the spacious interior made one’s footsteps echo clearly. Any slight sound would produce reverberations.

First-time visitors might think the temple was empty except for themselves, but upon pushing open the doors, they would find the classrooms quiet, with teachers standing on the podium slowly lecturing, and students sitting quietly taking notes. Occasionally, one or two raised their hands to ask questions, which quickly dissipated into the vast silence.

After being brought here by the teachers, the freshmen visibly split into two groups—one group enjoyed this quiet, contemplative atmosphere, while the other preferred the lively scenes on the streets, wanting to explore the small town outside.

Compared to other academies with beautiful and dangerous mountainous landscapes, the architecture and scenery here were more ordinary and plain but exuded a sense of everyday life. It was like ordinary mortals, experiencing birth, aging, illness, and death, with monotonous yet repetitive times, without many dramatic events.

The Temple Academy primarily taught the Angelic Sequence and the Necromancer Sequence. Combined, these sequences formed the oldest club within the academy, “The Death Angel,” dedicated to studying chaotic tragedies.

The teachers led the freshmen around the campus, introducing various traditions.

Most skills in the Angelic Sequence related to life, healing, protection, purification, and blessings. In contrast, the Necromancer Sequence focused on death, souls, pain, and curses.

Sages arranged these two sequences together, hoping students wouldn’t become overly absorbed in their thoughts. Even the most healing and protective actions would eventually lead to death. Learning the death sequence also meant understanding the miracle and value of life, not treating it lightly.

The upperclassmen mostly wore black and white uniforms. Compared to other academies, they were more accessible to ordinary people and were more peaceful and low-key, unlike the Bridge Academy, which was filled with steel and military air.

“Lolan, let’s go shopping,” Alena suggested after the tour ended. Nia also showed some interest, and even though Letis thought there wouldn’t be much worth seeing in the small town, she wanted to learn about the surrounding environment, so she didn’t object.

Thus, Lolan Hill and several roommates registered at the city gate and headed to the small town outside. Along the way, they occasionally saw other freshmen with similar ideas.

The streets of the small town were lined with many shops, many catering specifically to the students of Emanas. The students here were generally quite wealthy and spent generously, which made shop owners very happy.

“Here!”

Turning a corner past a small fountain square, they heard familiar voices calling out.

“Lily, Ye Ling, Bumansa, and Vimya?”

Hearing the voices, they walked into a nearby clothing store and saw the familiar four girls picking out clothes.

Ye Ling sat on a tall chair, swinging her legs back and forth. Lily was dressing her up in various outfits like a doll. When it came to clothing and fashion, the girls became excited. In this era with limited entertainment, clothing, sweets, and love were among the hottest topics among girls.

Lolan Hill eventually found herself in a similar predicament, sitting quietly in front of a mirror, being dressed up by classmates. Her roommates and classmates acted like experienced masters, suggesting different styles. She tried on various outfits, from luxurious floral gowns to dark Gothic dresses, to simple, nature-inspired forest styles, switching and trying multiple looks.

“So, when will you let me go? I really don’t want to try any more clothes.” Lolan Hill smiled helplessly. She hadn’t thought about this much before, but today she realized how many details went into dressing up.

“Just wait a moment. Because Sister Lolan is so beautiful, we want to know your limits.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” several girls echoed, and then Letis took out another dress.

This dress was mainly red and black, with lace patterns on the skirt and sleeves, giving an overall dark Gothic style.

“Try this on, Lolan,” several classmates started a new round of trials.

Thank you to Baimu Zi, Long Shang, Zuiqiang Fangshengren, and Lingjue123 for your support!