ALL NOVEL Chapter 30: Enrollment at Age Seven
【Shumuguo Duchy】, the capital city, "Muzhi City."
Fortunately, they hadn't closed the city gates yet. The carriage bearing Ling Yi and his companions smoothly passed through the East Gate amidst the scattered flow of people entering and leaving the city.
As a duchy with a national territory only the size of one province of the suzerain 【Heaven Dou Empire】, and the smallest province at that, its capital city naturally wouldn't be too large.
A city wall over thirty meters high would have been considered a formidable defensive structure in Ling Yi's past life's ancient times, but in the Douluo Continent filled with extraordinary powers, this height was merely average.
Nonetheless, it was still a nation's capital, boasting the necessary level of grandeur.
Not to mention that the 【Spirit Hall】 here was established on the same scale as those in the major cities like the capital of 【Barak Kingdom】, "Barak City," and the capital of 【Silvis Kingdom】, "Silvis City," second only to the Spirit Palace in the imperial capitals of the two great empires.
As for anything grander, that was reserved for the Pope's Palace in "Spirit City," beyond comparison.
When Ling Yi asked Ethan Pike for directions to the Spirit Hall in "Muzhi City," and received a reply, the carriage arrived at a roadside location deep in the eastern part of Chaoyang Street.
"Young Master, we've arrived at the academy~" Ethan’s coachman gently called out to the carriage cabin.
"Hmm~" Ethan Pike pursed his lips, his gaze sweeping over Lillian and Annuo's somewhat stiff expressions, then landed on Ling Yi's curious face. In a soft voice, he said, "We've arrived, let's get off—"
Lillian and Annuo simply nodded in response.
Ling Yi, however, beamed brightly and replied repeatedly, "Alright~ alright~~"
The four of them hadn't brought any large luggage. Besides Ling Yi carrying a bundle and a thin roll of bedding hanging from the back of the carriage, the Ethan family each had only a small carry bag, giving a sense of ease and lightness.
After disembarking from the carriage, Ling Yi glanced around. He ignored the closed and shuttered storefronts on either side of the road and focused on a gatehouse located about a hundred meters away at the end of the street.
Under the pale moonlight cast from the half-moon above, Ling Yi's keen eyesight allowed him to discern a large row of characters on the gatehouse: "Green Leaf Elementary Spirit Master Academy!"
An ordinary child might have asked Ethan Pike why the carriage didn't drive directly to the gatehouse but stopped over a hundred meters away.
For this, Ling Yi mimicked Zhang Lei's occasional careless demeanor, appearing completely absorbed by the wonders of entering a big city for the first time. This relieved Pike, who had been organizing his words.
With the atmosphere now more harmonious, the four of them walked comfortably along the deserted street, the distance of over a hundred meters passed in an instant.
As for the carriage and driver, they turned around and headed towards the street's entrance, presumably to find an affordable place to settle down before returning to Beikouhe Town the next day.
Outside the "Green Leaf Elementary Spirit Master Academy" gates.
With Ethan Pike introducing him, Ling Yi presented the Spirit Soul certificate issued by Yan Bin last year, along with the study recommendation certificate he received two months ago, to the gatekeeper. After a meticulous verification process, he was granted entry into the academy.
"We student workers all stay in the building on the west side of the academy, Building No. 3..."
On the cobbled path of the academy, Ethan Pike explained to Ling Yi, "It's a three-story building, each floor has four rooms. This year, you student worker freshmen should be in room 304 on the third floor..."
"It used to be the dorm of the sixth-grade student worker seniors. Now that they've graduated, the room is just right for you first-year newbies..."
"And where do you stay, senior?" Ling Yi asked at the right moment.
Hearing this, Ethan Pike turned to glance at Ling Yi, "I'm on the third floor as well, but I'm in room 303, right next door to you..."
He paused as he spoke, casting a glance at his cousin and cousin’s sibling, who had been rather silent since entering the academy, continuing unhurriedly, "Lillian and Annuo are in rooms 102 and 104 on the first floor, respectively."
"Those two buildings over there to the north~" As they walked to the edge of a spacious grey-white stone-paved playground, Ethan Pike continued along the green stone path, raising his hand to gesture at two six-story buildings on the opposite side of the playground. In a subdued tone, he added, "If you don't need to, best stay away from there~"
"What's over there?" Ling Yi feigned curiosity.
Ethan Pike cast a sideways glance at Ling Yi, his voice growing cold, "That's the dormitory for the self-paying students of the academy."
From the tone of his voice, Ling Yi detected a familiar feeling he once read about online in articles about school bullying victims.
Ling Yi nodded, indicating that he had remembered this, and turned his gaze towards the dimly lit silhouettes of the two buildings, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes:
‘It seems that the relationship among students here at the [Green Leaf Elementary Spirit Master Academy] is more intense than what the [Nuoding Elementary Spirit Master Academy] depicted in the original story~’
‘No, it's because Tang San, being the protagonist, initially showcased his innate full spirit power, the first spirit ring of a century, and impeccable combat skills, thus subduing Xiao Chenyu, the leader of the academy's self-funded students…’
‘Otherwise, judging by the frequent bruises on Wang Sheng, the original leader of the working students, school bullying would have been the real norm!’
‘Here, on the Douluo Continent, the class division is even more pronounced and blatant—!’
‘Moreover, Tang San and Xiao Wu were never ordinary working students from a civilian background~’
It makes sense, an individual who's a reincarnated soul, with a father titled as a Douluo, hailing from the world's top sect, possessing the world's best tool martial soul, a dual soul, and innate full spirit power; from the moment his spirit awakened, he was already destined to be on a personal flight to the top of the Douluo Continent.
The other, as a soul beast transformed into human form, harbors animosity and suspicion toward humans, merely seeking the company of humans for the sake of growth in power. Without the protagonist’s overwhelming aura of persuasion and her own lacking emotional maturity, she would probably be more ruthless in slaughtering humans than Liu Erlong of the 'Killing Horn'…
‘With such backgrounds, their six years in the [Nuoding Elementary Spirit Master Academy] naturally felt like a royal living experience, one filled with ease and relaxation…’
"It's fair to say, if you are truly a civilian student, enrolling during the time those two are in attendance is quite advantageous."
The premise is to keep a low profile, silently absorbing the knowledge imparted by the academy, quietly growing, and avoiding drawing attention in front of these two.
Otherwise, you might catch the eyes of Yu Xiaogang or Tang Hao.
With these thoughts, Ling Yi had a sudden whim, wondering if any of those authors writing fanfiction in his past life had covered such a storyline. Steering clear of the central plot, dwelling on the periphery, silently developing oneself, and observing as the tumultuous events of Douluo Continent unfolded... until the final battle concluded and the protagonist team departed for the divine realm, only then stepping onto the continent's stage with considerable strength.
With Ethan Pike's introductions echoing in his ears, Ling Yi traversed the cobblestone path step by step. Soon, the group left the edge of the training field and arrived at a three-story building on the west side of the academy.
Just like at the academy's gate, in a small room expanded from a corner on the first floor, Ling Yi smoothly obtained the keys to a room after showing his martial soul certificate and work-study student proof to the dorm matron, walking into this dormitory.
"Take a rest first."
At the door of Room 303 on the third floor, Ethan Pike advised Ling Yi, "It's past the time for the academy cafeteria to be open. If you're hungry, eat some dry food. If you don’t have any, I've got some jerky here..."
"Thank you, senior."
With a smile, Ling Yi replied, carrying his bundle and bedding under his arm, "But there's no need, I still have a few pancakes in my pack..."
"Alright then."
Ethan Pike nodded, placing his hand on the door handle of Room 303, stepping aside, "Go on in. After resting up from the long carriage ride today, have a good night’s sleep. You'll need to find a teacher tomorrow morning to handle your enrollment and accommodation."
"Your stay here is merely temporary. Only when you have registered over at the admissions office will it be considered permanent..."
(Chapter End)
(End of Chapter)
