“Um... of course, Miss Setis has many other strengths, for example—”
“Enough, enough. I am well aware of my daughter's virtues, far better than you are.”
The Duke irritably cut Li Yuan off, waving a hand to dismiss him.
Li Yuan stood up, gave a slight bow, and turned to leave the study. As the door clicked shut behind him, he found the hallway’s magic lamps dimmed to half-power, casting a soft, amber glow. After a few steps, he spotted a figure leaning against the wall near the stairs.
Setis was crouching by the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders. Hearing his footsteps, she immediately looked up and stood, brushing off her skirt. She tried to maintain her usual cool expression, but the anxiety in her eyes hadn't quite vanished yet.
“What did my father say to you?”
“He asked some common questions,” Li Yuan answered truthfully.
“And?”
Seeing her forced composure and poorly hidden curiosity, Li Yuan felt a sudden spark of mischief. He used to tease his nominal disciple like this occasionally, and that long-lost impulse resurfaced now.
“The Duke also asked for my opinion of you.”
Setis’s shoulders stiffened imperceptibly.
“—And what did you say?”
“I said you were bright, straightforward, and sincere. That though you’re occasionally impatient, you’re inherently kind.” Li Yuan spoke at a leisurely pace, watching the delicate mix of anticipation and tension on her face before pausing deliberately. “In order to get the Duke to let me stay, I even went out of my way to say a few extra nice things.”
Setis’s expression shifted instantly. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her brow furrowed, and her mouth pulled down into a frown. She looked like an explosive magic crystal with a lit fuse. She grabbed Li Yuan’s sleeve and turned toward the study.
“He dared to make things difficult for you? I’ll go find—”
Li Yuan stumbled forward half a step from her tug and quickly steadied himself.
“I’m joking.” His tone returned to its usual gentleness. “He did ask, and I answered truthfully. Everything I said was the truth—you really are quite exceptional.”
Setis froze. She stood there, hand still clutching his sleeve, her fury dissolving into a daze. Then, a flush started at her neck and crawled upward until it burned the tips of her ears.
She hurriedly let go and retreated two steps, her gaze darting everywhere—the ceiling, the paintings on the wall, the wooden floor—anywhere but at Li Yuan.
“...I’m going back. Get some rest.”
Her voice was so low it was barely audible. Before the last word even landed, she had turned and hurried toward her room. The door opened and shut much faster than usual, though she took care to close it quietly.
Li Yuan watched the sliver of light under her door, a faint smile touching his lips. He stood in the hallway for a moment before returning to his own guest room.
Today had been much longer than he expected, but it had ended well. He closed his eyes and soon drifted into a deep sleep.
...
The next day, when Li Yuan opened his door, the hallway was already bathed in the afternoon sun.
On the dining table in the parlor, there was only a single lunch set covered by a thermal cloche. A maid polishing silverware saw him enter and gave a respectful bow. “Mr. Li, the eldest miss instructed that your lunch be kept warm so you may have it whenever you wish. The Master went to the palace early this morning, the Madam was invited to a tea party, the young master went to the hospital for a follow-up, and the eldest miss went to the academy to help with reconstruction. She likely won't return until evening.”
Li Yuan nodded his thanks and sat at the table. He lifted the cover to find roasted beef with mashed potatoes and a bowl of steaming vegetable soup.
Eating alone was much more relaxing than the previous night’s meal. He ate slowly, then finished with a cup of black tea the maid brought him. After finishing, he returned to his room to change into casual clothes. Before heading out, he paused at the foyer and said to a manservant by the door, “I'm going out for a walk. I should be back by evening.”
The manservant nodded and noted it down. This counted as leaving word, right?
The Inner City was at its liveliest in the afternoon. The shops along King’s Avenue were all open. He took a detour to the Outer City, where construction crews were clearing the last of the rubble and repaving the streets. It looked like reconstruction would be finished soon.
Li Yuan was quite satisfied with the kingdom’s efficiency. To be able to push forward with recovery so orderly after such a disaster suggested the King was likely a wise ruler.
...
At the Royal Magic and Martial Arts Academy, reconstruction was also proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Setis was crouching by a flowerbed on the east side of the campus, a small trowel in hand, burying a magic grass seed into the freshly loosened soil. She was wearing the academy’s standard work clothes today, sleeves rolled to her elbows and knees stained with dirt. Nearby, Mila and Thor were also busy—one watering, the other filling in soil. The three worked with decent coordination.
This flowerbed was the greenery restoration zone assigned to their class. It had originally been planted with ornamental magic flowers that had bloomed just before the anniversary, only to be uprooted by the blast's shockwave. Now they had to start from scratch—turning soil, fertilizing, sowing, and watering. The whole process would take at least half a month.
“Setis.”
She looked up. Hogg was standing on the stone path outside the flowerbed. He wasn't wearing his signature grey robe today, but a set of deep blue casual clothes, looking much more relaxed than usual.
“Royal Preceptor.” Setis stood and brushed the dirt from her hands. “Did you need something?”
“If you have a moment, come to my office.”
Setis handed the trowel to Mila, gave a few instructions on watering, and followed Hogg through the campus.
The administrative building was one of the best-preserved structures in the academy. The exterior walls only had a few cracks from the shockwave, and the internal structure was largely intact.
Hogg’s office was at the end of the third-floor corridor. Inside, the decor was just as she remembered—bookshelves packed with magic grimoires and scrolls, a desk piled with documents, and a faint scent of ink and old books in the air.
“Have a seat.”
At that moment, Setis suddenly remembered something, and her expression stiffened slightly.
“I'm sorry, Royal Preceptor. I forgot about what you mentioned before.” Her tone was uncharacteristically sheepish. “You told me to visit you at the Magic Tower when I had time, but with the reconstruction and things at home, I just...”
“It’s fine, no need to apologize.” Hogg waved her off and cut straight to the point. “Setis, you recently have any news regarding Mr. Li Yuan?”
Setis froze visibly, her fingers curling against her knees.
“I... I do know where he is...”
“Could you tell me? Of course, if it’s inconvenient, you don't have to.”
“Um... it’s not inconvenient... it’s just...”
Setis acted shyly, hesitating for a long time before making up her mind to reveal that Li Yuan was currently staying at her home.
“He’s currently staying at my house... the Duke's estate.”
Hogg’s eyebrows shot up. Setis immediately added:
“His teahouse was destroyed by the Blood Moon Cult, and he had nowhere else to go, so he’s temporarily staying in our guest room—my parents agreed to it.” She spoke faster than normal, as if trying to lay out all the facts before he could misunderstand. “He’s only staying for a short while. He’ll leave once the teahouse is rebuilt.”
Hogg watched her frantic explanation, remained silent for a moment, then nodded without pressing for details. However, he soon looked back at her.
“I would like to visit Mr. Li Yuan after school today. Would that be convenient?”
“—It should be? He hasn't said anything about wanting to be left alone.”
Setis thought about it and nodded in agreement.
“Very well. Go back to your work for now. Wait for me at the school gate after classes.”
After Setis took her leave, silence returned to the office.
Hogg leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the construction outside, but his eyes were unfocused as he fell into deep thought.
Li Yuan was staying at the Duke’s estate—this information was certainly unexpected. With that man’s power, he didn't need to worry about money or lodging. Did he have another motive for staying there?
Could there be something in the Duke's estate worth his attention? Money? Power? Treasures? None of those should mean anything to him.
Hogg tapped his fingers on the desk. He recalled Setis’s rushed explanation and combined it with everything else he knew.
Perhaps... the answer was simpler than he thought? Yet he felt the possibility was slim. A powerhouse of that level wouldn't deign to live in a Duke's house for a young girl, as no worldly laws or morals could bind him.
As a Heroic Spirit rank mage and one of the five strongest, Hogg knew all too well how powerful Li Yuan was. What he had shown that day was beyond the realm of humanity; calling him a god wouldn't be an exaggeration. That was one of the reasons Hogg was willing to keep his secret.
How much of a shock would someone who surpassed Heroic Spirits bring? Just thinking about it made his skin crawl.
But what if it was true? What if he really moved into the Duke’s estate because of Setis’s request or something similar...
At this, Hogg pulled himself back and shook his head to clear those conjectures. Regardless, he would know once they met.
He picked up the communicator on his desk to contact Napa.
“Napa, postpone today’s afternoon meeting to tomorrow. I need to go out.”
Rate on N.U.
