Chapter 854

Chapter 854: Back to Emanas

Maple Leaf Courtyard.

Lolan Hill stood in front of the cottage, holding a doll dressed in a black and blue dress, waving goodbye to Ye Ling.

“I’m going back to Emanas for a few days. You can stay here for a while. Remember to eat well,” she said.

“Are you not taking me with you, Lolan Sister?” Ye Ling felt a little disappointed.

“This time, the situation isn’t clear. We’ll go next time,” Lolan Hill thought it would be more convenient to act alone when facing some matters of the Sage Council.

“Alright then.” Ye Ling touched her fingers. She wasn’t someone who was unreasonable, but she felt a slight regret.

“I will train hard,” Ye Ling patted her chest as Lolan Hill was about to leave.

“Good luck,” the girl smiled and then slowly rose into the air. A circular shield formed by air currents spread from her feet, enveloping her body before carrying her far into the sky, becoming a tiny black dot.

Ye Ling watched Lolan Hill disappear, then hugged Dai Ju again. Suddenly, she remembered something important. If Lolan wasn’t around, who would cook? She had no confidence in her own cooking skills.

Thinking this, Ye Ling turned Dai Ju over, staring at the plump bird in her arms.

“From today, you have an important task.”

—

After leaving the maple forest, Lolan Hill flew at supersonic speed for most of the day, crossing mountain ranges and the vast Blue River, and returned to Emanas, the school standing in the center of the Sighing Mountains.

Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the school buildings were distributed in a roughly five-part layout. On the west side of the campus, there were many wheat fields surrounding a small town.

The summer river often splashed against the banks, and as they approached the Blue River, a cool breeze brought the scent of water.

The girl held the doll and arrived at the gate of the Unyielding Bridge. The tall bridge tower stood by the riverbank, and a few magitech vehicles passed through the gate and entered the straight and magnificent bridge behind.

“Hello, student. Which grade are you in? Which college do you belong to?” asked a guard as Lolan Hill approached the bridge gate, checking a seemingly 17-year-old silver-haired girl. Other students crossing the bridge occasionally looked back, curious about Lolan Hill.

“Who is this? I don’t think I’ve seen her before.”

“Is she a new student? But it’s been half a year since the start of the semester.”

A few students whispered. Looking at their badges, they seemed to be freshmen.

“My name is Lohil. I graduated several years ago,” the girl had to answer, but her youthful face made people feel she was being playful.

“Hehe, please don’t joke around,” the guard chuckled, waving his hand.

“This is true,” Lolan Hill didn’t know how to explain.

She could force her way in or sneak past, but that would be embarrassing.

Unfortunately, the appearance and demeanor of the young girl did not match her claim of age, which others also found unlikely.

“In fact, I graduated many years ago. You can check my records,” Lolan Hill explained again, feeling helpless. Lohil was once a notable figure, and there would surely be records in the academy.

“Then tell us what year and which college you graduated from,” the guard asked despite his disbelief.

“In winter 1689, Chief of the Temple College, Lohil,” the silver-haired girl finally revealed her old name.

When the words “Chief of the Temple College” came out, it immediately attracted attention, and people began to recall the remarkable students of that year.

Among them were the renowned generals and empresses of the empire, heroes from Clancia, famous fleet commanders, and so on—truly a generation of outstanding talents.

“Please wait,” the guards felt something was amiss and became more serious.

They flipped through the registers in the archive hall and eventually found the pages from over a decade ago.

“Lohil, enrolled in the Third Era 1685, silver hair, blue eyes, frail in appearance. Promoted to the Temple College in 1686 and led the college to win the ‘Breaking the Army Crown’ in the grand competition, becoming the college chief. Studied abroad in the Holy Land during the third year until graduation. Recognized as a genius, undefeated throughout her school years,” read the register.

“These…” The guards rubbed their eyes, unable to associate this frail girl with the most powerful and iron-blooded ‘Breaking the Army Crown,’ a title usually associated with the Bridge College.

They were still unsure until a teacher returned and entered the bridge, clearing up the situation for Lohil.

“Yes, this is Lohil, the former chief of the college, who graduated over ten years ago,” a teacher in black-and-white uniform greeted Lolan Hill. She had been a student of the Temple College and naturally understood the strength of this senior.

Although her youthful appearance was still astonishing, it was not impossible among Extraordinary Beings, especially those known for protection and healing, such as the Angel Sequence.

Perhaps, like the rumors of old, this Senior Lohil was a reincarnation of an angel.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

After confirmation, the guards apologized and let her pass. Lolan Hill didn’t blame them; after all, she hadn’t returned in a long time and had no news after graduation, so many people might not remember her.

Reflecting on the students of these years, the most well-known now were the Red Queen Lily of the Empire, the Pure Iron General Darci, the Commander Nia of Red Flame, Captain Alena of Black Sails, and others like Necromancer Elro, Alchemist Letis, and Fairy Atati.

Boarding a magitech vehicle, Lolan Hill sat by the window as the vehicle started and headed toward the bridge.

Under the bright summer sun, the river was a deep blue, and the long bridge stretched across the wide river like a white line.

The wind carried moisture, blowing through the passengers’ hair, making them feel refreshed as they gazed at the shimmering river.

Indeed, it had been a long time since she last returned.

Lolan Hill looked at the Blue River with nostalgia, recalling the nights as a freshman when she and her classmates watched stars by the river. How many of the wishes they made then had come true, and how many had been forgotten?

Time had flown by.

“The Bridge College has arrived. We will stop here for five minutes. Next, we will head to the Central School Building, followed by the High Tower College,” the driver announced, then got off to get some water.

Students walked down in groups, chatting about recent exams, club activities, and the notable figures in the academy.

“Legal Code class is so difficult. I wish I hadn’t joined the Bridge College,” complained a student loudly.

“Recently, the legal system of Clancia has been added, making it even more complex than the old nobility laws. This doesn’t even count the trade laws we used to study. Why does our Bridge College need to study these things? I won’t become a general anyway.”

“But maybe understanding the law better can help us use it better. Don’t the Easterners say everything should have a righteous name?”

“But I want the romance of riding alone into battle. It feels like reality is deceiving me.”

“If you want to ride alone into battle, you should study the Dragon Sequence instead. Did you choose the wrong place?”

“It’s true, but I admired General Darci when I was young. He was a graduate of the Bridge College, the brightest star in the empire for centuries, and he came from a common background.”

“On the battlefield, he rarely lost. Even in the most difficult conditions, he could carve out a path.”

“That’s right. It’s said that the only regret was that he didn’t get the ‘Breaking the Army Crown’ in college. There were too many geniuses those years. Even now, the ‘Black Lotus Society’ in the Fortress Academy remains strong, and the legend of the ‘Black Rose Queen’ continues.”

“This society firmly controls the various groups in the Fortress Academy, acting as hidden leaders, leading the students to victory in many competitions.”

“And now, the current empress of the empire once belonged to this society, giving it even higher status among students.”

As the students discussed and walked towards a large fortress, the sound of hooves echoed in the distance, suggesting a new round of combat practice was underway.

Currently, the two most popular clubs at the Bridge College were from Clancia and the Empire, and they were fierce rivals.

Following the magitech vehicle, Lolan Hill finally disembarked at the High Tower College.

The gray marble platform remained unchanged, and the snow-capped peaks in the distance gave a slight chill. Lolan Hill looked up at the distant white tower on the mountain peak, her gaze curious as it swept over the observatory on top of the tower.

Since the incident at the college years ago, Night Mistress had stopped serving as the dean of the High Tower College and was replaced by other teachers.

Should she visit Night Mistress and Chris? These two witches were probably still recovering from the changes in the world that year.

Just as the silver-haired girl was lost in thought, the doll in her arms stirred, waking her up.

A mage dressed in black robes with a gold-trimmed cloak approached, wearing a sigh-cross badge on his chest. He bowed deeply, pressing his hand to his chest before standing up.

“Welcome, Princess Lolan Hill.”

The girl was slightly surprised but relieved when she saw no one else paying attention.

“Are you a member of the Sage Council?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Please follow me,” he gestured simply, guiding the girl towards a high tower on the mountainside. Students around them instinctively avoided him, as if an invisible hand parted the crowd. This avoidance was not conscious but rather an unconscious yielding, as if he did not exist.

Bringing Lolan Hill to a simple gray tower, the mage stopped and opened the door.

“We just received word of your arrival in Emanas this afternoon. It was a bit hasty, so only three official sages are here. If you’d like, you can meet them first. In the next week, the rest of the sages will arrive. This conference has gathered most of the Sage Council members. We hope Your Highness will participate.”

“I understand,” the girl nodded and stepped into the gray rock tower.

Inside, there was minimal decoration, with two copper candle holders on either side of the stairs illuminating the interior. The smooth surface of the stairs indicated they had been used for a long time, and the occasional green shoots and vines sprouting from the cracks in the walls confirmed her guess.

Ascending the spiral staircase, she reached the top and pushed open a stone door, revealing a spacious hall.

Stone chairs and tables were arranged in a circular pattern, with a central ground engraved with a magic array, emitting faint light from the concealed magic power.

The hall had no pillars, with windows around the circumference offering views of the northern snow-capped mountains and the southern campus scenery. The ventilation was good, but due to its width, the center of the hall was somewhat dim.

These chairs and positions surrounded the center in a circular manner, but a cross line seemed to divide the concentric circle into four parts, leaving spacious corridors.

At this moment, most seats were empty, with only three sages of different attire sitting at the tables, waiting for Lolan Hill.

“Greetings,” the girl nodded, observing the three.

They appeared to be in their 40s to 60s, with some having calloused hands and exuding the power of the War Sequence, instilling fear.

Another was an elf with pointed ears, sitting curiously at the table, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at the silver-haired girl.

The last was a white-haired elder with thick glasses, flipping through a book, seemingly searching for something crucial.

“Welcome, Princess Lolan Hill. Your participation will make this discussion more meaningful,” the elf woman welcomed the girl.

“Now, others are still on their way or in slumber,”

“So, let me introduce the current state of the Sage Council and the situations you might encounter,” she tried to speak in a calm manner, conversing with the sage from Clancia and the witch of the stars.

Almost made it just in time.