"Miss Iona's swordsmanship still has room for improvement, but your body isn't well right now, so I'm afraid this isn't the best time for training."
"Oh? You can tell my body isn't well, too? Never mind, Scholar Haide must have told you." She waved a hand dismissively. "Since you say my swordsmanship has room for improvement, analyze it for me." She had demonstrated her swordsmanship a few times in front of her classmates before, but that wasn't the full extent of her abilities.
Xilutaiya thought for a moment, then pointed out several details in Iona's usual training that could be refined.
***
"Perhaps I underestimated you." This time, Iona's opinion of Xilutaiya shifted significantly, and her tone softened quite a bit.
"You truly have sharp eyes." She paused in thought. "Since you've proven your worth, I can offer you my respect. In class from now on, you can just call me by my name—no need for honorifics.
"Here, this is for you." She pulled a transcribed booklet from a cabinet. "It contains the method for practicing the Bee Dance Footwork. I won't teach you directly; how much you can comprehend and learn from it depends entirely on your own talent.
"All right, that's enough for today. If you want to see me in the future, let the maid know in advance." She waved her hand to see her guest out.
For the booklet she had received, Xilutaiya expressed her thanks, then took her leave.
Before long, the room fell quiet once more. Iona stared blankly at the iron box in the corner for a long time.
*To think that in a place like this, I'd actually encounter a true genius.*
What constituted a genius? People from different regions had different definitions and answers, but having come from the royal city of White Cliff, Iona understood the concept far more deeply.
She had seen true geniuses, and she knew she was not one of them, which was the very root of her anxiety and unease.
*Since she possesses such keen insight, her own strength can't be lacking either.*
***
Not long after that visit concluded, Iona returned to Scholar Haide's classroom. To the surprise of many students, this noble daughter—who had previously disdained mingling with commoners—became notably more approachable. Occasionally, she would come to watch at the training grounds and even participate in practical combat drills.
What shocked many even more was that she actually initiated conversations with Xilutaiya, standing and talking with her openly. Such a sight seemed unimaginable to many classmates, especially Walaini.
*Why her? I was the one who was here first!* Walaini bit her lip in the corner, nursing her silent resentment, though she didn't dare say a word in front of Iona.
One day, Iona leaped down from the bleachers beside the training grounds and landed next to Xilutaiya.
"Do you know how to dance, Tiya?" she asked, addressing her directly by name.
"I don't think so." In the memories she had recovered so far, there were no fragments of dancing.
"That's a bit of a pity. The Bee Dance Footwork originates from ancient court dances. If you don't know how to dance, it'll be difficult to grasp its rhythm." Iona shook her head, putting on a regretful expression.
"Is that so?" Xilutaiya tilted her head in thought. In truth, she had already tried practicing the Bee Dance Footwork a few times. Though still a bit clumsy, she was capable of learning it. It was just that her current focus lay on Bloom Art, leaving her no spare energy to study it.
"Thank you for the reminder, Iona."
Seeing her response, Iona couldn't help shaking her head. *This girl truly has no social experience. Didn't she realize that my remark was telling her she could ask me to teach her?*
Yet this pure, unpretentious demeanor of Xilutaiya was precisely what gave Iona a good impression of her. Perhaps Iona had grown weary of the intrigue and social maneuvering among the noble ladies back in White Cliff City.
Never mind, it was better to speak plainly.
"If you want to learn to dance, I can teach you a bit." Hearing this from not far away, Walaini clenched her fingers until they turned red.
*Why?* Last time she had asked Iona, saying she wanted to learn about the court dances performed in White Cliff City, Iona had flatly told her she didn't have time.
"As for dancing, I might not have the energy to learn right now." Xilutaiya shook her head. On normal days, she had to tend the flower fields, cultivate her own flowers, and find time to practice and familiarize herself with several different skills; she simply couldn't spare any more time.
However, she wasn't completely oblivious to social cues. Sensing Iona's goodwill, Xilutaiya added, "Once the assessment is over, things will calm down. I'd love it if you could teach me then, Iona."
"In that case, we'll talk about it later." Iona reflected that once she passed the assessment, she wouldn't have much time left in Burnt Stone City anyway.
The relationship between the two grew closer over time. Occasionally, Iona would ask Xilutaiya questions regarding their secret history classes, and in return, she shared interesting anecdotes about White Cliff City, which broadened Xilutaiya's horizons considerably.
"In the Raygas Principality today, what order are the strongest figures roughly at?"
"That? A lot of people are curious about that, actually. I've heard my father mention it before." Iona ran a hand through her short golden hair. "Publicly, the strongest is the 'First Knight,' Weiertuo. He's a fifth-order Winter Branch Knight. In secret, however, Raygas should have hidden sixth-order figures."
*Only fifth-order?* Xilutaiya recalled the records in the ancient texts; the historical pinnacle of the Raygas Principality seemed to have reached only the sixth order, which truly represented the very peak of its combat strength.
Yet according to her faint childhood memories, she had likely seen many beings of far higher rank, and her mother was at least a seventh-order figure or above; otherwise, she couldn't have cast that miraculous, painted-scroll magic.
Unfortunately, she had yet to encounter anyone above the fourth order. The most formidable person she currently knew was Madame Falan, who already gave her an impression of sheer invincibility. She couldn't even imagine what a fifth-order transcendent would be capable of.
Slaughtering an entire city or toppling a kingdom single-handedly? Or effortlessly sweeping through low-order opponents across several kilometers? There was no way to know.
The sight of the two conversing so casually was noted by many classmates. Usually at such moments, not even Mick or Kemiya would dare approach lightly, afraid of disturbing or offending Iona.
"Ugh, Tiya's been stolen away by that wicked woman." Kemiya was just as unhappy inside as Walaini.
"I clearly wanted to tell Tiya that I made a good friend recently—a snow-white Ti Wolf who's super obedient!" Her greatest gain over the winter break was encountering an intelligent and interesting fellow while practicing the Eye of Phantasmal Incantation.
At first, Kemiya was afraid the Ti Wolf would attack her, so she used the Eye of Phantasmal Incantation to influence it. Soon after, it began displaying friendly behavior, and girl and wolf gradually became close.
Because it was completely snow-white, Kemiya named it Miantuan—a name that was arguably slightly better than Xiaobai.
On the other side, Mick and Suolin had turned into regular sparring rivals after their previous match. They largely admired each other, yet neither wanted to get too close, maintaining a sense of quiet competition between them.
With the new year, everyone was undergoing new changes, and the time for the Hidden Woodland assessment drew nearer and nearer.
Chapter 88