082 A New Breakthrough

Perhaps it was because so much had happened during her journey to the northwest that, when Teresa once again set foot on the campus of Saint Alberta Academy, she was struck by a wave of nostalgia—as though she had been gone not for a month, but for a year or two. Yet, with Benita, ever the chatterbox, at her side, Teresa's sentimental mood was quickly dispelled by Benita’s exuberant prattle.

The two rode together on horseback, weaving nimbly through a slow-moving procession of carriages. The road was crowded, and the carriages crawled along, making Teresa and Benita, mounted as they were, all the more agile as they threaded their way forward. Before long, they arrived outside the grand hall. Benita immediately tugged at Teresa’s sleeve, nodded toward the entrance with a mischievous glint in her eye, and giggled, “Look at all the elegant young ladies gathered here—people say, ‘Fair maidens are the delight of gentlemen,’ but here, it’s more like, ‘Handsome gentlemen are the delight of fair maidens.’”

With that, Benita burst into laughter. Teresa could not help but tease her, pinching her nose and saying, “And you? Are you not one of those seeking a match yourself?”

“Me? Not at all,” Benita replied, catching Teresa's hand and squeezing it playfully. “I’m only here to admire beauty—purely for the pleasure of the eyes! Besides, Professor Lambert is still our instructor; we ought to attend his class, shouldn’t we? Most of those girls have already passed their continental history and aesthetics courses, you know.”

Amused, the two entered the grand hall. Though there were still nearly twenty minutes before the class began, the hall was already two-thirds full. Benita led Teresa to their assigned seats in the class section and, full of curiosity, began to pepper her with questions about the landscapes and customs of the northwestern ice fields. Their conversation flowed so easily that time seemed to vanish.

When Lambert entered the hall with a gentle smile, a hush gradually fell over the crowd. He made his way to the lectern and, as was his habit, swept his gaze over the assembled students. This simple routine, however, yielded an unexpected discovery—a soul so brilliantly radiant and dazzling that, even among so many people, it caught Lambert’s attention at once. He glanced for only a moment before looking away, but a name he had heard much about drifted into his thoughts, and his smile grew even brighter.

Lambert’s pause and searching look did not go unnoticed; soon, curious glances began to converge in the direction of Teresa and Benita. Alas, no matter how the girls tried, they could not discern the true object of Lambert’s interest. Meanwhile, Lambert, his smile ever more luminous, mounted the lectern and began his lecture in a clear voice.

“Hey, Tess,” Benita whispered, tugging at Teresa’s sleeve, “it really looked like he was looking at us just now. He’s so… so… so utterly charming!”

Yes, Benita was completely smitten—indeed, nine out of ten girls in the hall wore an air of secret admiration. Teresa could only watch and feel a twinge of exasperation—almost as if her teeth ached from it all.

Since Mu Fei had left Cervantes City, the old Mu residence had grown eerily quiet. With Teresa often away as well, the place had become entirely deserted; for more than half a month, the black-painted gates had not been opened. Yet appearances can be deceiving, for some visitors never use the front door.

Beneath the gentle afternoon sun, Chiu-Chiu and Ka-Ka lay sprawled on the lawn, bellies up, lost in deep slumber. Even Mu-Mu was stretched out among the branches, dozing with half-closed eyes, warmed by the wind and the sunlight. All was tranquil—until, quite suddenly, Mu-Mu tensed, arched her back, and became alert. Her eyes, a haunting shade of green, gleamed like beams of emerald light in the sun.

But the moment she saw the approaching figure, her wariness faded, replaced by a resigned sort of respect.

“Good afternoon, Lord Lambert.”

Lambert, with a practiced hand, seized the loose skin at Mu-Mu’s nape and hoisted her onto his shoulder. Striding toward the old house, he asked, “Where’s Mu? The business at Stormhold should be done by now—surely he has time to see me. Otherwise, I’m not handling his affairs anymore. I’ve already collected my fee, and there’s no way I’m giving it back.”

Mu-Mu could only muster her energy to deal with Lambert’s teasing irreverence until, at last, he entered Mu’s study. Relieved, Mu-Mu leapt from his shoulder and vanished. Mu glanced up and said coolly, “The small fry have been dealt with. You can proceed.”

Lambert crossed his legs and lounged back on the sofa, arms folded, grinning. “I was hoping you’d give me a bit more time—two more days? Aunt Felina’s situation isn’t easy to extricate myself from. If I just up and leave, she’ll skin me alive next time we meet.”

Mu’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded, “I only care about the result.”

In other words, he had no interest in Lambert’s self-inflicted troubles.

Lambert reached out and took a slip of paper from Mu, scanning its contents. A strange light flickered in his eyes, and his usually cheerful smile grew cold, tinged with a faint hint of bloodlust as his tongue flicked across his lips.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Lambert suddenly looked up from the note, eyes full of amusement as he regarded Mu. “I saw that child today—indeed, remarkably tempting. No wonder you would use her as bait. Such a passionate and pure soul—I haven’t seen one in the human world for many years.”

At these words, Mu, who had previously shown little reaction, furrowed his brow. “Tess is back?”

“Yes, and what an adorable child she is—so fresh, so delectable.” Lambert’s words trailed off into laughter. “Well, speak of the devil—she’s here!”

Following Lambert’s gaze, Mu saw Teresa in the garden, laughing and rolling on the grass with Ka-Ka and Chiu-Chiu, the three of them tangled together in a lively, joyous heap. Mu narrowed his eyes and, after a moment, remarked, “Her spiritual aura has changed—much purer than before.”

Lambert raised his brows. “Could it be that, after enduring the Demon Sealing Array, she’s not only unscathed but even elevated?”

Mu nodded, “Yes. Her consciousness had hidden injuries, but now it seems more stable than ever… What a pity…”

“Yes, what a pity…” Lambert echoed, but neither man elucidated what, precisely, was so regrettable.

Teresa, for her part, was oblivious to the two “voyeurs” inside, watching her with such cryptic sentiment. It was only after much coaxing and the promise of countless treats that she finally managed to calm the rebellious Ka-Ka and Chiu-Chiu and slip away.

Mu-Mu watched Teresa intently for a long moment—so long that Teresa felt a chill run down her spine. At last, Mu-Mu bowed with feline grace and said, “Welcome back. You owe a month’s work—you’ll need to make that up this month.”

Teresa scratched her head and replied cheerfully, “No problem! But could you help me find a few books first? On alchemical automatons?”

Mu-Mu nodded and rattled off a list of titles and their shelf numbers. Teresa repeated them to be sure, then dashed off to the library, eager to begin her search.

“…Alchemical automatons, extensions of the arm, with instruments as their bones and arrays as their spirit…”

“…Alchemical automatons, by function, are divided into auxiliaries and combat types. The former are most common today; the latter, due to high cost and heavy losses, have largely fallen out of favor…”

“…As automatons, they possess no consciousness of their own and obey only their master’s commands. Yet few possess the mental strength to control more than two or three at once, making them of limited use. Still, the sages of old recorded automaton children so lifelike they could serve tea and entertain guests, their laughter so natural one could not distinguish them from real children…”

“I’ve got it!” Teresa exclaimed with delight, scooping up the previously neglected book at her left and hurrying to return the others to their shelves. She then hurried back to her seat, engrossed in the only book that mentioned the possibility of sentient automatons. Lost in study, she paid no mind to the passage of time, reading on into the night until Mu-Mu appeared to remind her. Reluctantly, she closed her book and left the old house, still so absorbed in her reading that, had she not been picked up by the family carriage, she might have wandered off in a daze, oblivious even if she were kidnapped and sold.

Back in Cervantes, Teresa’s days quickly regained their calm and customary rhythm. She spent her time either training her mental strength or poring over books, attending classes only occasionally or going riding with Benita. Her life was leisurely, and not even the sudden departure of the charismatic Professor Lambert—an event that brought the “first chill of autumn” to Saint Alberta Academy—could dampen her spirits. She studied and played as usual, her good mood infectious enough to lift Benita out of her own post-Lambert gloom and restore her usual enthusiasm.

Time flowed swiftly by, but for those who strive diligently, even the most tranquil days are underpinned by persistent effort, quietly building towards a breakthrough.

Soon after the first snow of winter fell in Cervantes, Teresa’s spiritual power, after nearly ten months of steady cultivation, finally broke through the barrier of the second touch, elevating her alchemy to the peak of the first rank!

In just a year and a month since she began studying alchemy, Teresa had achieved in little more than a year what would take ordinary alchemists three years or more. Much could be attributed to her innate talent, but even more admirable was her diligence and perseverance.

(To be continued)