131 A Dim Future

Valienda could almost be considered a city without clearly defined seasons. Apart from the noticeable drop in temperature and snowfall during winter, the other three seasons differed very little. Spring merely brought more greenery, summer more flowers, and autumn more fruit.

Valienda’s autumn was golden yellow. The abundance of fruit that could be seen everywhere along the streets was one thing, but the leaves of many plants also turned a beautiful golden hue. Set among the emerald green, they created a beauty all their own. The autumn wind blew in from the Blood-Colored Plateau, carrying with it the coolness peculiar to the highlands. There was once a beautiful legend that the gold of Valien was born from the blending of the plateau’s red with the local green. Thus, within the Natural Kingdom, Valenda was a particularly typical city, filled with an exotic charm.

A golden leaf spun through the autumn wind and drifted lightly into the window, whose gauzy curtain fluttered in the breeze. Before it could settle onto the desk, two crimson shapes suddenly sprang out from the side and pounced upon it. A moment later, two fiery-red little foxes were rolling about on the desk covered in fine white paper, each tugging at one end of the palm-sized leaf. The papers, originally arranged in neat stacks and covered with writing, were scattered in every direction.

The moment Teresa entered the room, she saw the letters she had just finished writing and was preparing to seal and mail strewn across both desk and floor. The two little demon foxes, meanwhile, seemed completely unaware of the havoc they had caused and continued to romp about merrily.

She could not help shouting, “You little demons! You little foxes! Look at the mess you’ve made!”

At the sound of her voice, the two little demon foxes froze for a second. Then, forgetting all about their new “toy,” they slipped away in an instant and vanished without a trace. Teresa was left both exasperated and amused. Gazing at the chaos covering the desk and floor, she raised a hand to her forehead, crouched down, and began gathering everything together.

There were many letters. Besides the ones addressed to her uncle and Aubrion’s family of four, there were also letters for Benita, as well as Carol and the grandfather-grandson pair, Qiu En and his grandson. Counting them carefully, there were eight people in all—fully thirty or forty sheets of writing paper.

As she tidied up, a light breeze stirred the room. Two or three more golden leaves floated in through the window, carrying with them a faint fragrance of fruit. When she looked up, she saw that the great tree before the window was already laden with fruit, its rich red set against brilliant gold. The intense contrast of colors was truly uplifting.

Valienda was indeed a city well suited to a peaceful life. The Natural Kingdom’s reverence for nature made the city pleasant and refreshing, while the convenience of its foreign trade ports rendered it open and prosperous. She had been here for less than half a year, yet she had already fallen deeply in love with the city.

In a pleasant mood, Teresa finished arranging seven of the letters. She even thoughtfully selected seven completely different leaves and tucked one into each letter as a special little gift from a foreign land. Just as she was carefully straightening the papers, a call suddenly came from outside the window.

Teresa leaned out to look and saw a beautiful little bird perched on the great tree. Its red beak opened and closed as it uttered a series of single notes, calling her name.

It was a messenger bird, the lowest class of magical beast capable of mimicking voices. Its sole ability was to imitate all kinds of sounds, and it did so with uncanny accuracy. For that reason, messenger birds were often used to convey information over short distances.

Sometimes, however, this convenient method of communication brought with it a peculiar sort of amusement.

When you heard a bird speaking in the voice of a stern, cold man standing around six feet two inches tall, the subtle humor of the experience was something that could only be truly appreciated firsthand.

The little bird was using Andrew’s voice. Clearly, Andrew was looking for her. Teresa smiled faintly at the small, mischievous delight in her heart, then took a bit of bird feed from her waist pouch and offered it to the bird. Only after that did she put away the letters, shut and lock the window, and head toward Andrew’s study. He had always preferred to discuss serious matters with her there.

* * *

“A transfer letter? What is this?”

Teresa stared in surprise at the official document held out before her. After flipping through it briefly, she discovered that it was a transfer letter for moving from the Alchemy Department of the Military Academy in Sevantis City to the Comprehensive Academy of Valenda City. Every required detail had been filled in. The person handling the matter in Sevantis City was Amos Aubrion, while the guarantor on Valenda’s side was none other than Andrew Bolger Anga.

“Starting next week, you’ll attend classes at the academy.” Andrew handed her another stack of documents. “I’ve already discussed your situation with the person in charge. They’ve agreed to let you advance freely through the levels. You’ll begin with the fundamentals, and whenever you feel you’re ready to move up, you may submit an application.”

“The fundamentals?” Teresa raised an eyebrow. “Why should I begin with the fundamentals? I haven’t studied alchemy for very long, but I have complete confidence in the solidity of my general knowledge!”

“The alchemical systems of the Kingdom and the Empire are entirely different.” Andrew paused, then gave her a rare smile. “If you can complete your studies in the Kingdom’s system with the same efficiency you showed when learning the Empire’s system, that would be excellent.”

His words made Teresa feel a little uneasy. She asked tentatively, “Is the Kingdom’s system more difficult?”

“That depends on the person,” Andrew replied noncommittally. “In addition, the academy operates on a semi-boarding system. If you encounter any trouble there, go directly to your student adviser. He’ll take care of it for you. Even if he can’t resolve the matter, he’ll notify me and I’ll handle it. All you need to do is concentrate on your studies.”

As Teresa listened, she nodded and continued reading through the academy’s materials. The first page contained a brief introduction to the academic system. The second page held her personal enrollment records, and a familiar name immediately caught her attention.

Student Adviser—Mu Fei, Green.

“Mu Fei?” Teresa exclaimed in surprise. “I never imagined that name could be used for both men and women.”

Still astonished, she turned to the next page. It contained information about her student adviser. There was not much, but several crucial lines caused Teresa’s expression to stiffen at once.

Mu Fei. Male. Green half-elf. Level-six junior alchemist. Trainee teacher. Former observer stationed in Sevantis City of the Human Empire on behalf of the Green Clan.

“Is this the Mu Fei I know? Mu Fei, Mu’s grandnephew?” Teresa asked, her voice rising.

Andrew seemed mildly surprised by her reaction. “You two already know each other. Is there a problem?”

Teresa’s cheek twitched faintly. Without meaning to, she remembered Mu Fei’s awkward temperament and cutting remarks during the brief time they had spent together.

After a while, she pursed her lips and said, “Knowing each other is one thing. Getting along is another. That fellow’s tongue is far too sharp. Every word he says is like a knife—sharp enough to carve a layer of flesh from a person. Of course, there’s no denying that his talent is truly astonishing…”

Seeing her expression, Andrew’s lips curved upward. He smiled once more, encouraging her. “The Valenda Academy’s alchemy is considered first-rate throughout the country, and Mu Fei is quite capable as well. I’m sure you’ll adapt soon enough.”

“I certainly hope so…” Teresa pursed her lips again, feeling that the road ahead was utterly “without light.”