Chapter 8

I took the golden invitation, feeling both disbelief and an overwhelming urge to rush forward and hug Lan. Of course, I would never actually do something like that, but my joy far exceeded anything I had imagined.

“Thank you.” I tightened my grip on the invitation. Seeing Lan simply smiling at me, I couldn’t bear the silence and added, “Do I have to bring ten people with me?”

“There’s no such requirement. You can bring people or not—it’s fine either way. As long as you come.”

“Oh…” I lowered my head and scratched my hair. “Thank you.” Only then did I realize I had repeated myself again, and I almost wanted to slap my own mouth.

But then a strange sensation crept across my back, like countless ants crawling over my skin. I slowly turned around and met Shia’s unusually mischievous gaze. Just as I was about to explain, she put on a profound expression that clearly said, You don’t need to explain—I understand everything. She even thoughtfully closed her eyes and nodded.

“Oh right, Ina, this is your payment.” He handed me another thick envelope.

“Payment for what?”

“For making the wand.”

“I told you it was free. I don’t want it.”

“Take it. Otherwise, you might not even be able to afford your tuition.”

“Tuition?”

“Oh, right—Ina, Lan just said you’ll be going to the royal palace for training,” Shia said as she walked over and handed me several thick booklets. “This is the Royal Code of Conduct, this is the ethnic geography of the Asir tribes, this is the schedule for the battlefield speech conference, and this is the training overview for promotion to Battlefield Divine Goldsmith…”

“Wait.” I stopped her hand. “I completely don’t understand what you mean.”

Shia rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, wearing an expression that said she was completely helpless with me.

“In other words, starting the day after tomorrow, you can go to the royal palace for training from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon. In a few months, you’ll take an exam. If you pass, you’ll officially become a Battlefield Divine Goldsmith.”

I instinctively shifted my gaze to Lan. He nodded.

“That’s basically it. The training requires tuition. I heard from Shia that you’ve used up all your money recently. If you refuse to accept this, are you planning to give up this opportunity?”

“And let me make this clear,” Shia added, “if you can’t afford the fees, Sister Shia here will absolutely not come to your rescue.”

With that final blow, I finally accepted the money despite myself and said to Lan, “Isn’t it tiring just standing here? Let’s all go upstairs… Lan, would you like to come up and sit for a while?”

“No, thank you. I still have things to do.” Lan smiled at Shia and me, then left.

The moment he was gone, I turned and headed upstairs, letting out a long sigh. Shia caught up in a few quick steps, hooked an arm around my neck, and grinned darkly.

“Confess honestly—since when did you and Lan get so close?”

“I’m already in a bad mood. Don’t tease me right now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m such a spineless person.” I looked at the stack of documents in my hands and rubbed my head. “I don’t know why Lan is giving me so many opportunities, but I know very well that this isn’t something my ability alone could achieve…”

Shia froze. “If you don’t qualify, then barely anyone on Eden Street does.”

“But my ranking is so low, and I don’t even have real combat experience. How could I enter the royal palace so easily?”

“I’m ranked over fifty myself… Ina, are you saying this just to annoy me? Don’t you know there are many trainees, but only a few actually pass the exam? Besides, the Asir tribe has grown extremely powerful in recent years. The tribe urgently needs wartime talent. Going to the battlefield isn’t some far-fetched fantasy anymore.”

“Really? Lan didn’t let me go just because he feels sorry for me?”

“Of course not. You’re seriously underestimating yourself.” Shia paused, then added, “Pity? What would he pity you for?”

“…Because I’m poor.”

Just then, we stepped into the house. While changing her shoes, Shia kicked the step and nearly fell. After a long silence, she turned around and said with unusual seriousness,

“Are you trying to disgust me on purpose?”

I shook my head. “I don’t like being pitied. And I especially don’t like being pitied by him.”

“Ina.”

“I’m here.”

“Do you maybe have a bit of a thing for Lan…?” She let out a soft laugh midway through the sentence. “Forget it. There’s no point saying anything to someone as stubborn as you.”

“If you’re going to say something, don’t stop halfway. Finish it.”

“What… does this mean?” Shia had already reached the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide. “Don’t tell me you’re actually planning to cook?”

“Hey, Shia—Shia—don’t go in…”

The workshop was temporarily left under Fili’s care. Since apprentice battlefield craftsmen were allowed to bring one or two assistants, two days later I brought Gefei and Fula with me to the royal palace.

The castle of Heinir Palace was the tallest structure in the world, its highest point rising more than four hundred meters above the walls of the main city. If one tried to reach the interior by climbing stairs or walking through aerial passages, it would probably take at least half a day. Fortunately, beneath the palace lay a teleportation magic array, allowing direct access to the main gate.

The tops of the six main buildings were all hemispherical. Two of them bore enormous statues of the chief gods: one of Frey, the Sun God, clad in long robes; the other of Bode, the God of Light, wearing armor and raising a sword high into the sky. The very highest point of the entire Vana tribe was the tip of Bode’s sword.

Standing before the main gate at dawn or dusk, one could see the sun almost level with the castle itself. Whenever the sun rose, the most brilliant light of the Nine Worlds would first illuminate the statues of the chief gods, then gradually wash over Heinir Palace, and only afterward spread across the entire royal capital and every inch of the Vana tribe’s land.

From the moment we arrived at Heinir Palace, Fula had not been quiet for a single second, constantly exclaiming about how beautiful everything was. When we entered the corridor of the Scholars’ Hall, she even let out an embarrassingly loud shout, saying excitedly, “Sister Ina, there’s an echo here!”

I covered my forehead, deeply regretting bringing her along.

Today’s lecture was titled “How to Become a Vana Divine Warrior on the Battlefield,” delivered by Nathers, the top-ranked alchemist. Unfortunately, she had never been Shia’s idol—in fact, Shia rather disliked her “old-fashioned academic style.”

So, in the spacious Scholars’ Hall, paved with red carpets and grand as a parliamentary chamber, Shia, seated diagonally across from me, couldn’t speak openly and instead kept tossing me notes about how unbearable she found the old woman. Every time Nathers turned around, I tossed the notes back to comfort her. After passing them back and forth for half an hour, I realized I hadn’t absorbed a single word of the lecture.

Just as I was about to signal that I needed to focus, Nathers suddenly said, “Everyone, please take a ten-minute break. Shortly, the greatest and most accomplished Archmage in the entire Vana tribe—and indeed across the Nine Worlds—will come here to deliver a ten-minute speech and conduct a live combat demonstration.”

---

2

It was obvious that Nathers’ announcement rescued her otherwise dull lecture. All around us, people began whispering excitedly, their eyes gleaming as they discussed that single, striking remark.

This lecture was intended for all divine beings about to head to the battlefield, so the audience was not limited to alchemists and divine goldsmiths. There were also priests, archmages, holy spirit knights, diviners, and others present—and there were noticeably more men than women.

I had just left my seat to sit beside Shia when I heard someone behind her say, “Lord Lan has calmed down a lot recently. Did you know that when he first joined the army, he, Lord Frey, Lady Gullveig, and Lord Mimir used to do nothing but wander along the outer skies of Asgard, firing magic at the Asir tribe whenever they saw them? One spell per enemy—absolutely satisfying to watch!”

“I’m curious what it would look like if Lord Lan fought that old fossil Xiu’en. Let’s see if the old man would still act so arrogant.”

“My goal is to become Lan!”

“Keep dreaming,” a girl said, smacking the boy lightly on the head. “A divine being stronger than even the chief gods appears maybe once every three thousand years. And you think you’ll become him?”

“I don’t care what you all say—Lord Lan is just too handsome…”

That last comment, of course, came from Fula. Shia and I were equally disgusted. We turned around at the same time and told her to be quiet. Shia couldn’t help adding, “I hate it when women spend all day obsessing over men’s looks. If this keeps up, there won’t be any men left worth talking about.”

“Exactly! You women should listen to this beauty here—now that’s well said,” a boy chimed in.

“I thought intelligent beauties had gone extinct. Apparently not.”

Once again, Shia found herself surrounded by a group of men on the verge of falling for her.

At that moment, another girl spoke up. “To be fair, Lord Lan really does have excellent fashion sense, and he’s undeniably good-looking. Denying that would just be hypocritical.”

I finally couldn’t hold back and turned around. “Miss, could we talk about something else? I think Lan’s achievements lie in his battle record, his magic, and the hope he brings to the Vana tribe—not his appearance.”

The girl flushed red, about to argue back, when Nathers entered through the rear door. I immediately pulled Fula back to our seats. The entire hall quickly fell silent.

Then the very person everyone had been discussing walked in.

Before Nathers could even speak, enthusiastic applause erupted. Many of the younger divine beings stood up to get a better look or waved toward him. Lan still wore that pure, gentle smile.

He was dressed in a white short-sleeved archmage’s robe, layered over a dark brown high-collared long-sleeve shirt. A long ruby necklace hung across his chest. He wore slightly fitted white trousers and dark brown ankle boots, and around his wrist was a water-magic bracelet engraved with transmutation runes.

I watched him for a long time.

He really was extraordinarily handsome.

Holding a spellbook, he walked to the speaker’s position. His voice was clear, yet slightly deep.

“Future warriors of the divine race, it is my honor to stand here today and speak with you face to face.”

At that point, applause interrupted him for a while. He smiled and continued, “If, even while sitting here, you still have doubts—if you believe our greatest enemy is the Asir gods, or perhaps the unknown chief gods who have slept for a thousand years—then…”

Just then, another small paper ball landed on the desk in front of me. I unfolded it and read: Your precious Lan has made his grand entrance.

I turned around instinctively. Shia, surrounded only by male students, had twisted back in her seat, brushing her long hair over her shoulder with exaggerated charm and throwing me a flirtatious wink. My heart skipped a beat. Had she noticed me staring at Lan the whole time?

I had intended to throw the note away, but Shia always treated silence as admission. So I wrote on the back: Lan does look quite handsome today, and his outfit is nice. But stop talking nonsense, or Sister Ina will deal with you when we get back.

Fortunately, Nathers, who had been seated at the back, happened to walk into the aisle with her back turned toward us.

I tossed the paper ball.

And then everything went wrong.

Nathers suddenly stepped backward. The paper ball hit her shoulder and fell to the floor. My heart leapt into my throat. Luckily, she didn’t notice and walked forward two more steps. I immediately stood up, intending to retrieve it.

Then disaster struck.

She suddenly turned around and walked back.

The carpet was bright crimson—vivid, unmistakable red. The paper ball was pure white, stark against it. Even though she wore thick glasses for severe nearsightedness, there was no way she could miss it.

She crouched down and picked it up.

---

3

At that very moment, Shia was casually playing with her golden hair, whispering to the boy beside her, while Nathers slowly unfolded my note with her veined hands.

As her lips moved slightly, clearly trying to read and comprehend the words written on it, a crushing sense of doom washed over me. Just like being caught cheating during an exam—the most terrifying moment isn’t the punishment, but the silent inspection beforehand.

Finally, she glanced around, slipped the note into her pocket, and continued pacing.

I let out a long breath of relief.

But then another thought struck me: if she handed the note to Lan after the lecture, wouldn’t I be completely doomed? No—once the lecture ended, I would immediately go apologize, claim that Shia was actually Ina, and ask her to return the note to me.

Just as I was planning this, Shia turned around, apparently expecting a reply. I mouthed something at her and drew a line across my neck with my hand. Clearly she didn’t understand; she tilted her head and looked at me in confusion. After struggling for a while, I finally gave up, waved helplessly at her, buried my face in my hands in frustration, and then looked back toward the stage.

“In truth, the advanced magic, alchemy, tactics, and leadership skills we study are not used very often during the early stages of battlefield combat. For example, when an enemy closes in, a simple Lightning Bind is far more practical than Wrath of the Thunder God.”

Lan stepped slightly aside and casually cast a bolt of lightning, binding the leg of a desk in the front row.

A mage behind me couldn’t help exclaiming, “My gods… how can he cast spells that fast? That was just a blink of an eye… I need ten seconds of chanting for that spell…”

“Oh my gods…” I covered my eyes, unable to keep watching.

Nathers stood beside Lan and said something to him quietly. He nodded and moved aside.

“I apologize for interrupting Lord Lan’s lecture,” Nathers announced, holding up a piece of paper and reading it aloud with solemn seriousness. “Your precious Lan has made his grand entrance.”

The moment she finished the sentence, my forehead slammed onto the desk. At the same time, from the corner of my eye, I saw Shia whip her head around. After a strange moment of silence, explosive laughter swept through the entire hall.

“Lan does look quite handsome today, and his outfit is nice,” Nathers continued, clearing her throat as if striving for clearer enunciation. “But stop talking nonsense, or Sister Ina will deal with you when we get back.”

The laughter only grew louder, echoing endlessly through the hall.

I completely collapsed against the desk, spiritually deceased.

Nathers folded the note and went on calmly, “To this ‘Sister Ina,’ whoever you may be among the audience—since this is an important lecture for new battlefield recruits, perhaps you could shift your attention away from Lord Lan’s extraordinarily handsome clothing and face… and instead focus on his pleasant voice?”

The hall erupted again with roaring laughter.

I hadn’t heard Lan speak once since then—I simply didn’t have the courage to look at him anymore. Around me, people whispered excitedly:

“Who’s Ina?”

“Which one is Ina?”

“Quick, find Ina—why isn’t she saying anything?”

I was already planning to remain an ostrich until the lecture ended and then go apply to change my name when a sharp, cheerful voice suddenly rang out:

“Ina is Shia’s good friend—the black-haired beauty lying face-down on the desk!”

No doubt about it—that was the same girl I had embarrassed earlier.

At that moment, I remembered Gefei’s timeless philosophy: People live only so they can die someday.

Then a voice came from behind me at just the worst possible timing. “Boss, it’s fine. What you said is true—we all think Lord Lan is handsome. Though passing notes during a lecture isn’t exactly appropriate…”

And then Fula added fuel to the fire:

“Sister Ina, if you like Lord Lan, just go after him! We all support you!”

As the murmurs and teasing around me grew louder, I buried my head deeper into the desk, almost imprinting the outline of my face onto its surface.

“Lord Lan, please continue,” Nathers said, stepping aside.

I didn’t hear a single word of what Lan said afterward. Before long, the crowd forgot about my miserable existence in the corner. I heard applause, cheers, people asking questions, and eventually Nathers resumed speaking. The old lady seemed to have taken a particular interest in me. The moment she stepped onto the stage, she addressed the hall of more than four hundred attendees:

“Miss Ina, if you’ve had enough sleep, please sit up and listen.”

Once again, I felt the piercing gaze of hundreds of eyes. Forcing myself upright, face burning, I endured the rest of her lecture without daring to look at Lan even once. Believe me—I would never forget this day for the rest of my life.

Three hours later, the painfully long freshman lecture finally ended. The moment Nathers announced dismissal, I rushed out the door with the first person who stood up.

I had barely gone a few steps when I heard Fula calling behind me, “Sister Ina, wait for us!”

“Ina, why are you running? Come back!” Shia shouted.

I slowed slightly and turned back to look at them.

And then I saw Lan walking toward me behind them.

I pulled my hat down over my head and bolted straight into the crowd.