Chapter 465: Meeting Lucianne Again
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 465: Meeting Lucianne Again
"Of course I don't mind," Daphne said hurriedly.
After all, she knew exactly how terrifying the person in front of her was. Even though she was well aware that the girl was only a first-year, it wouldn't be long before she became a Teaching Assistant.
As a member of the Jack-of-all-trades Club, Daphne’s work naturally involved serving the academy—such as precisely "kidnapping" a Child of Destiny like Lucianne into the Witch Academy.
The matter regarding Xiao Han wasn't exactly a secret within the club, but not every member had the clearance to know the details.
A Teaching Assistant position usually had a time limit. Although not explicitly stated, if a TA lacked the ability or the ambition to become a Transcendent Witch, they would soon be abandoned by the Mentor they followed. Conversely, if a student had that kind of drive, it wouldn't be long before they promoted to a Transcendent Witch and left the academy. For some of the larger clubs, sponsoring members to test for TA positions was a long-term operational project, and they could not afford any failures.
Therefore, information about Yang Yuehan would soon appear on the radars of many clubs.
Her connections were also clearly presented, and the most eye-catching piece of information was... that she had a very deep relationship with a senior sister who had returned after graduation. Many were curious how a mere first-year had come to know such a senior.
One had to understand that for a senior sister to graduate meant she had promoted to a Transcendent Witch. To return in a way that complied with the rules usually took a very long time. Thus, Bai Yu’s situation had far exceeded their expectations.
It wasn't that they hadn't tried similar things—having a senior sister promote and then return—but by the time they came back, many years had usually passed. By then, any juniors they knew had either graduated or finished their studies. Time didn't grant them much leeway, and lower-year students generally lacked the capability to establish such a relationship with a senior of that caliber.
Furthermore... a witch who had achieved Transcendence was no longer the same "senior sister" who used to look after them.
There were many complex matters they couldn't quite wrap their heads around, but they could read the room. Since things had already happened this way, they had to accept it—and they had to admit that her becoming a Teaching Assistant was practically a sure thing.
An independent TA like her was someone many clubs wanted to recruit. As for the Baking House she had joined... sorry, no one cared about that.
"Are you working on practice problems?"
I sat down across from them, glancing at the textbooks and exercise sheets spread out on the table. It all felt so familiar. Was this the "sea of problems" tactic?
The library didn't actually sell exercise books like these. They had likely obtained them from somewhere else and come to the library specifically for its studious atmosphere.
"Yeah, I'm helping Lucianne grind through some problems. Finals are coming up soon, after all," Daphne said, resting her hands on Lucianne’s shoulders. "Her theory grades are only average. She did enroll a bit late, so she’s still struggling to adapt to the teaching style here."
"I see." I stared at the test bank, momentarily lost in thought. Grinding problems... It felt like a distant concept. For the current me, such a method was far behind my actual capabilities.
"Since you said so earlier, I’ll take the liberty of calling you Junior Xiao Han. Lucianne naturally can't compare to you, but... I wonder, do you plan on taking the final exams this time, Junior Xiao Han?"
"Maybe? It depends on the situation, but there's a high probability I won't," I said with a shrug. I didn't want to be too definitive, but her attempt to fish for information was a bit too obvious.
I suddenly grew curious. Did this Senior Daphne know someone? After all, I had met quite a few seniors after the written exam. They were all members of the academy's major clubs, and they would have undoubtedly mentioned me upon their return. It was unavoidable.
Meanwhile, Lucianne—who was on a completely different wavelength—stared with wide eyes. What did she just hear?
Not taking the finals?
Who did she think she was? It was one thing to skip the monthly exams, but skipping the finals too?
Just as she was about to speak, Daphne’s hand pressed down on her shoulder. The words and emotions Lucianne had been stirring up were instantly suppressed by her senior.
My gaze drifted toward Lucianne. As expected, she looked very much like her Luck manifestation...
A "benefactor's aid"—that was likely this senior. And "falling deep within" might refer to losing her own initiative?
Having a senior sister personally tutor her in theory was indeed impressive. Moreover, this senior’s status wasn't low; the fact that she knew about my situation before the news of my TA exam had even spread on the Academy Network proved that much.
"Junior Xiao Han is being too modest," Daphne said with a smile. She didn't believe a word of it. She would rather believe the hype than dismiss it. She wasn't about to mistake Xiao Han's humility for a lack of confidence.
Even if the girl failed to become a TA this time, her strength—proven by passing the personal data review and the written exam—meant she had plenty of chances. If not this year, then next year, or the year after... who could say for sure?
Daphne then looked at the stack of books beside me and took the initiative to find a new topic.
"Are you here to borrow books today, Junior Xiao Han?"
"Of course. I like to come here and read when I have nothing else to do," I replied with a smile. "Even though I can read on my phone, I still prefer the feeling of flipping through physical pages."
As for the real reason, I wasn't going to say it. Even if I did, they probably wouldn't believe me.
"Is that so? You have such refined tastes, Junior. What kind of books do you usually enjoy?"
"Mostly Runology and Alchemy. My other interests are a bit more eclectic."
"Oh? Such a broad range of study?" A flash of surprise crossed Daphne’s eyes, but she wasn't intimidated. She assumed the girl’s true focus was Runology and Alchemy.
To be honest, she was only slightly familiar with Alchemy. As for Runology... wasn't that a guaranteed way to lose your hair?
Of course, she wouldn't say that out loud.
"As far as I know, Runology and Alchemy are subjects that go far beyond the standard curriculum..."
"I have course exemptions, so I can afford to be a bit more indulgent in my studies."
"Oh, I almost forgot. Look at my memory." Daphne realized her slip, feeling as though she had just been flexed on. "With your academic talent, Junior, you’d naturally excel at anything. I wonder... could you share some of your experience? Lucianne did have some history with you, after all. Even just a few pointers for the girl would be great."
"If you're asking me for pointers, I'm afraid you might not be able to accept them." After all, could others walk my path? No, they couldn't.
"It's fine. We'll just take it as a reference," Daphne said with a smile.
Her tone was dismissive, as if she were prepared to praise whatever nonsense I might spout next.
"Then I'll say it. My advice is... distance yourself from the things you don't like. Choose a path you are genuinely interested in and persevere. These three years are just a buffer period for new students to accept the grandeur of the Transcendent world. When we applied for Transcendent academies after the college entrance exams, we didn't have a reference to choose from. But now that we're in the Witch Academy, we do. We have up to three years to choose the direction of our entire lives."
"During these three years, we should be brave enough to experiment. Failures and rankings are hollow. We don't need to—and shouldn't—simply adapt to this kind of academic life. You should have your own plan; otherwise, if you just follow everyone else's rhythm, you'll have no future."
When I finished, they both fell silent. Even Daphne was stunned. She had only been being polite, expecting a few book recommendations at most, but to suddenly hear this... she was actually moved.
She was a senior, a "veteran" of the system, so she knew that what I said was largely correct. If a student simply adapted to the coursework of the first three years, they would be lost by the fourth year when it came time to choose a Mentor. Without the constraints of a set curriculum, their minds would go blank. They would rely entirely on their Mentor to tell them what to do, step by step, lacking any original thought or initiative.
"I didn't expect you to see things so clearly, Xiao Han. No wonder you've achieved so much in such a short time."
"Oh, it's nothing. Just some simple logic. It's mostly a matter of mindset," I said, waving it off. However, my eyes were fixed on the Luck.
I was watching to see if my words had any impact on Lucianne’s Luck.
Lucianne was also a genius in her own right, but it seemed her talent didn't necessarily lie in taking exams. With the sudden cramming before the finals, she was clearly very concerned about her grades.
After I spoke, Lucianne’s Luck did indeed undergo some subtle changes, but I couldn't quite decipher them yet. I lacked a point of comparison.
Still, those words had been heartfelt. With the end of the semester approaching, the library was packed with students. They were reading or grinding problems, and every book helpful for their coursework had been checked out.
As I walked through the aisles earlier, I saw that specific categories of books were completely gone, while others remained untouched, sitting neatly on the shelves gathering dust.
The library was looking more and more like a study hall. Books outside the curriculum had almost zero presence here.
It felt as though the library's purpose had been flipped on its head. It wasn't as if the academy didn't have study halls; I didn't believe for a second that they were all full.
But I only sighed inwardly; I had no intention of criticizing them.
I chatted with the senior for a few more minutes, and eventually, the topic turned to the upcoming finals.
"I heard this year's final exams will be quite different from previous years."
"Oh? In what way?" I asked curiously.
The academy hadn't officially released information about the finals yet, and since I hadn't gone out of my way to investigate, I was in the dark.
"As you know, in previous years, the first three years of the Witch Academy were usually quite peaceful. Monthly exams and even finals rarely had practical combat assessments. Because of that, our academy usually didn't link up with other academies for joint final testing."
"So, according to you, Senior, other academies often have Multi-School Joint Exams for their finals?" I asked.
"Yes, naturally. The teaching at other academies involves a massive amount of combat and practical training. We, on the other hand, only sprinkle in a few practical technique courses at most. This difference exists because the power paths we master are different. I'm not saying the Witch Academy's way is bad, but since the monthly exams were reformed this semester to include practical tests, there's a very high possibility that the Witch Academy will join the Multi-School Joint Exam system."
"I see." I nodded. That logic was sound. "Are there any specific details? Like the format or content of the joint exam?"
"Are you curious about that too, Junior?"
"Of course I am."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know much either. Since it's a Multi-School Joint Exam, the content isn't something the Witch Academy can decide on its own. However, I believe this will be even more exciting than the Exchange Competition."
"Fair enough." Seeing that she didn't know, I didn't press further. Whether she truly didn't know or just didn't want to say, I understood she wouldn't tell me.
After a few more pleasantries, I took my books and left.
I really did need to prepare for the upcoming interview. Even though Sister Bai said it was just a formality, I felt I should show the proper respect where it was due.
As Lucianne watched my retreating back, she finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"What is it? Do you have a lot of questions?" Daphne asked gently, removing her hand from Lucianne’s shoulder.
"Yes. I have way too many questions," Lucianne nodded.
From why Yang Yuehan could skip the finals to Daphne’s respectful attitude toward her—she couldn't understand any of it.
"Before I explain, I need to make one thing clear: you have to accept that the gap between people can be immense."
"Are you saying the gap between me and her..."
"There is a chasm between you two. Perhaps the Academy Network has been flooded with negative information about Xiao Han lately, but that’s just the lower-year students lying to themselves. Remember how everyone said Yang Yuehan 'self-severed' her Luck Seed and dug her own grave?"
"That... why bring that up now?"
"That was the naive thinking of the lower-year students. But to those of us in the higher years, it’s clear that while you all see 'Scripts' and 'Luck Seeds' as once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, Xiao Han saw them as nothing more than obstacles on her path. You are on completely different levels."
"How is that possible? We're both freshmen. How could she... be like that? Where does she get that confidence?"
"I don't know where her confidence comes from, but her strength and brilliance are for all to see. What she aims to do is beyond your reach. No one knows what she’ll do next. While you are all looking forward to the upcoming Multi-School Joint Exam to show off, she has already finished her own learning and accumulation. It won't be long before she becomes a Teaching Assistant at the Witch Academy!"
"A... TA?" Lucianne looked dazed. Clearly, she didn't fully grasp the weight of that.
"If she becomes a TA, her student status will completely transform. She will enter the faculty tier of the Witch Academy. Even I would have to call her 'Mentor' if I saw her. Do you understand that concept? It’s not just a change in status; it’s a leap across social classes within the academy! She is securing a faculty post before even becoming a Transcendent. Can you imagine how terrifying that is?"
"...?" A giant question mark slowly formed in Lucianne’s mind. Were they really talking about the same person?