Autumn deepened, and withered yellow leaves drifted across the hillsides, turning the distant mountain slopes half-green and half-yellow.
Iona walked through the woods over dry leaves, each step crunching beneath her feet.
She arrived beneath a massive banyan tree outside Burnt Stone City—a giant that stood out conspicuously against the surrounding woods.
After a brief wait, another figure stepped into the mountain forest, clad in a black cloak with a cloth covering his face.
Catching sight of Iona, the figure halted, untied the cloth, and revealed an aged, weathered face.
"Lady Iona." Placing a hand over his shoulder, he bowed.
"Yes." The blonde girl turned and gave a slight nod, her expression unreadable.
"Here are the items you wrote to ask for." He set the long wooden chest he carried onto the leaf-strewn grass.
Undoing the clasps, he opened the chest to reveal two custom black-steel longswords, a small pouch of black stones, a velvet jewelry box, a row of blood-red potions, a yellowed tome, and a small silk sachet sealing fragrant leaves.
"Everything is ready," he said, his sunken eyes lingering on the girl for a long time.
"What is it?" Iona looked up after taking inventory.
"Milady, you must know that very little remains of what Lord Karen left behind."
Hearing this, Iona fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"This is the last time I will be able to bring supplies to you. Please forgive me."
"I served two generations of Viscount Karen, and once thought I would spend my entire life in the viscount's estate. Alas..." He slowly shook his head.
"Forgive me, for I will not be able to see you again. I can only wish you success in entering the Hidden Woodland. There, you will find extraordinary knowledge and power beyond the reach of ordinary nobles.
"If you can undergo your transformation there and stand out from the rest, restoring the house of Viscount Karen will not be difficult. Only, by that time, I likely will not be around to witness it.
"I still have two grandsons. One is currently with the legion at Lookout Fortress, and the other is studying in Grayleaf City. If you need them in the future, they will become your loyal supporters."
Having said this, the old man seemed to hesitate, but in the end said nothing more, merely gazing at the blonde girl with tired, aged eyes.
"I understand." Iona closed the chest and lifted it.
She turned and walked toward the foot of the mountain, her figure receding into the distance. Partway there, however, she paused and spoke.
"Thank you, Butler Yisen." Then she disappeared around the bend in the forest.
...
In the courtyard garden of Scholar Haide's manor.
As usual, Scholar Haide, with his long white beard, tapped the wooden stick against the blackboard, which was covered with the day's lesson.
"It is already November. Normally, the weather would have turned quite cold by now, but because we are in the Rising Wind Season, autumn and summer are exceptionally long. A brief winter will not set in until December, coming to an end in January of next year as spring arrives.
"Such differences also bring variations in agriculture and commerce. The Rising Wind Season is often marked by abundant grain and cheap prices, whereas the Deep Mist Season brings the exact opposite."
...
"That concludes today's lecture. On another note, let me remind you that next week we will hold an assessment on secret history,
" the old man said, raising a finger.
"I will provide prizes for the top three students. Naturally, they won't be as extravagant as what Viscount Xuefeng offered, but they will still be of great help to you. Look forward to it."
"Yes, Teacher!" everyone answered with an air of anticipation before dispersing.
Leaving Scholar Haide's backyard in twos and threes, the students chatted about the upcoming exam.
"It seems there won't be any combat tested this time—just pure knowledge."
"Sigh, then I won't have any room to show off."
"Nothing we can do about that. Lord Xuefeng doesn't come by every time. The teacher is a scholar, so naturally he cares more about academic knowledge."
"For an exam on secret history, won't Iona and Tiya take first place?"
"Most likely. The two of them are neck and neck, though Tiya might be even stronger. I've noticed her tutoring several of the struggling students lately."
"Can a wild boy like Mick and that big oaf Lei actually learn anything?" someone asked doubtfully.
"Who knows? But Tiya seems to teach very conscientiously. A few times when I walked past, I even felt tempted to sit in and listen."
"Hey, aren't your grades in secret history pretty good? Why would you need tutoring?"
"It's hard to explain to you. Let's just say there's always a higher peak behind the mountain," the other boy replied, shrugging helplessly.
"Miss Iona, on the other hand, has been seen far less often lately. She frequently skips training, and sometimes she doesn't even show up for Scholar Haide's lectures. I wonder what she's up to."
The students' voices faded as they drifted away, ready to meet again that afternoon at the training grounds.
...
"The exam is coming up soon. Are you all ready?" Xilutaiya sat on a wooden chair, looking at the students seated before her for tutoring.
"Heh, I'm fine, of course." Mick scratched his head, putting on a relaxed front.
"I'll do my best," Kailun said with a nod.
"What about Lei?" The girl tilted her head, looking at the burly boy who towered over her.
"I... I'll do my best on the test," Lei answered in a muffled, hesitant rumble.
Despite being the most muscular among them, he was unexpectedly the shyest in Xilutaiya's little study group.
Looking at the gentle giant, Xilutaiya could only press a hand to her forehead and shake her head.
Although none of the three had a strong foundation, Mick and Kailun weren't actually dumb; they had simply lacked proper education in the past. Only Lei made Xilutaiya feel a bit discouraged—he was truly difficult to teach.
There was no helping it. Even she couldn't alter a person's innate aptitude or intelligence; she could only do her best to keep him from falling too far behind.
Furthermore, when it came to a slow student like Lei, Xilutaiya had gathered some insights.
Unlike ordinary students or prodigies, an overly dull person could not be taught using a conventional knowledge framework. They were incapable of understanding anything so vast and intricate. Therefore, the framework had to be simplified further to lower the barrier of entry.
Such simplification would naturally diminish the original efficacy and make it difficult to build further upon it as a foundation for advanced subjects. Yet compared to a fragmented, incomprehensible mess, it was far easier for a slow student to grasp and apply to everyday problems.
A crude framework was still better than having nothing at all—an inevitable compromise.
"Alright. I trust that you all want to prove yourselves and won't take this exam lightly." Xilutaiya stood up.
"Let's review today's material, and... could you show me the results of your recent combat training?"
Her request took the boys by surprise.
"Tiya, you want to watch our fighting practice?" Lei rubbed his fists, eager to try.
"Of course," Kailun said, feeling it was the simplest matter in the world, hardly requiring a formal request.
"Tiya, will you even understand what you're seeing?" Mick asked. Although he acknowledged that the girl was far ahead of them in academic knowledge—often making him feel thoroughly outmatched by her intellect—combat and swordsmanship were entirely different matters. Could she really understand them? She had probably never even held a sword.
"Is that what you think?"
The black-haired girl picked up her teacup, took a delicate sip, and gave him a calm, measured look that instantly eroded Mick's confidence.
Spending time with this black-haired, blue-eyed girl lately had made him increasingly realize the brilliant mind and sharp perception hidden beneath her unassuming appearance.
There were very few people he looked up to. One was the senior adventurer Big Brother Jieluo, and the other was this girl—seemingly his own age, yet possessing insight and perspective far beyond his own.
"Pretty much... But since you asked, Tiya, I'll show you during our spar." He turned his head away, avoiding the face and gaze that had begun to unsettle his heart.
Chapter 42