Chapter 3101: Moon-Viewing Tower

The young lady wearing the academy uniform spoke, and she couldn't help but laugh herself. Xia De had never seen her wearing a student uniform; this was likely a garment left over from her student days.

Naturally, he wouldn't be tactless enough to point out that she was the very person he was waiting for, so he smiled and said:

"Hello, I am an exchange student from another school. Miss Librarian made an appointment to meet me here tonight, and I believe the agreed-upon time has arrived."

As he spoke, Xia De took out the letter Emilia had brought him that morning, but the red-haired girl reached out and brushed it aside, then pointed out:

"Look, it says to meet at eleven o'clock tonight. It's only eight o'clock now; you've arrived a bit early."

She then put her hands behind her back and stepped backward. Xia De's eyes were momentarily drawn to her beautiful lace-up boots. Seeing the girl smiling and staring at him, he put away the now-meaningless letter and asked instead:

"Then, since it's still early, could you please show me around the academy?"

"Oh, sir, I have other things to do. I am very busy; I have so much to learn, I need to finish my course papers, I have to discuss future plans with my teacher, and I don't even have time to meet with my lover, so I have no time to waste on you."

Without "her" reminder, Xia De knew exactly what Daniste was complaining about:

"I am truly sorry, but I can pay for your time."

"What could you possibly give me? If you dare to say anything lewd, I will turn and leave right now."

The red-haired girl still had her hands behind her back. Xia De thought for only a second before giving his answer:

"This time you take me on a tour of the academy; how about next time I invite you to visit my place?"

The eighteen-year-old girl eyed him suspiciously, as if weighing whether it was a fair deal, before finally nodding reluctantly:

"But you must issue the invitation yourself then; don't make me remind you."

"Yes, next time I will personally invite you to visit my place, and I won't wait until the end of the month again."

"Hmph~ That's more like it."

She finally revealed a satisfied smile. Her hands were no longer behind her back as she walked to Xia De's side and took his arm:

"Let's go. There was a heavy snowfall at the academy yesterday. After the snow was cleared, the courtyard with its exposed stone walkways is very beautiful. Let's go there first..."

They walked together toward the bookshelves, but just then, another figure emerged from the shelves. Principal Pigeman, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, appeared holding a receipt:

"Professor Daniste, in the library's report on the borrowed relics for this year, the date on the receipt for the two Angel-level relics seems to be..."

He then stared in stunned silence as the eighteen-year-old red-haired girl in a student uniform took Xia De's arm. The principal was one of the few people in the academy who knew what Xia De looked like, and he had also taught the real Daniste Gustav in her student days, so he certainly knew who both of them were.

The scene left the highly respected principal speechless. Before he could open his mouth again, a look like a blade scraped at him from the red-haired girl's rose-red eyes.

He promptly changed his tone and asked:

"Good evening. Are you the librarian assistants on duty today? Is Professor Daniste Gustav not in the library?"

"She is away on vacation. Do not disturb her before ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

Daniste said, and without caring about Principal Pigeman's spectacular expression, she pulled Xia De's arm and continued walking forward.

Xia De even said politely:

"Goodbye, Professor Pigeman."

"Goodbye, Mr. Hamilton."

Then he watched as Xia De was pulled away by the red-haired sorceress and disappeared into the bookshelves. The principal stood in place for a while longer before leaving with a thoughtful expression.

He only nodded slightly to the students who greeted him along the way. However, at the portal in the library foyer, he happened to meet Professor Molly Torrell, Dean of the Astronomy Academy, who had come to the library's lower levels to return books:

"Professor Pigeman, have you encountered a troublesome matter? Do you need the Astronomy Academy to help you divine the cause of the errors in the year-end report?"

"No, it's not about the year-end report... Speaking of which, who is the chairperson of the 'Faculty Conduct Committee' at St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy?"

The professors at the academy were all of excellent character, so this so-called "committee" was merely one of many institutions existing to provide subsidies to professors with long tenures.

Ms. Molly Torrell smiled and said:

"Perhaps you've forgotten because the end of the year is just too busy? That position belongs to Daniste."

The principal took a deep breath:

"I see... Actually, some of the academy's institutions are still quite necessary.

Are you looking for Daniste? Oh, it's good that you aren't; she is away on vacation and won't be back until tomorrow noon. If you see a student in the academy before then who looks very similar to how she looked when she was young, please remember, that is just your imagination; do not expose her."

St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy, located in the Jibei, had developed into a massive academic city with the academy castle at its core, its area and population scale even more exaggerated than the cities of Tobesk and Willandale.

Although the city was the main body, this did not mean the actual school area in the center was small. On the contrary, the academy, which did not appear large on the map, was actually far larger than people imagined due to various spatial anomalies and the ancient witches' spatial folding technology.

Xia De had been to the academy a few times before, but he hadn't walked through many places. That night, led by the eighteen-year-old girl, he explored parts of the academy with the library as the center.

St. Byrons after the snow was beautiful, perfectly matching the silver-white magic academy scene in the outsider's imagination. Walking hand-in-hand with the girl he loved through courtyards, gardens, squares, and the covered bridges connecting the buildings, then talking about the bits and pieces of academy life and sharing interesting stories from their lives—this kind of life was indeed easy to make one feel happy.

"Emilia said that the academy has a unified dining hall and cafeteria, so how does the academy's kitchen operate? Is there a group of hardworking little elves beneath the academy who don't ask for wages?"

As they passed through the "Violet Arch" on the west side of the castle and headed toward the academy's small auditorium, Xia De asked Daniste, who was holding his hand, in the snow. Two rows of footprints snuggled together behind them. The girl laughed:

"How could there be elves who don't ask for wages? The professors have their own small kitchens, while the academy's main kitchen hires human chefs. Not everyone living in the academic city has the talent of a Ringed Shushi, so it is quite easy to find good chefs there."

This disappointed Xia De somewhat; he had expected the kitchen of such a prestigious "magic academy" as St. Byrons to be more magical.

But at least the moonlight in the Jibei that night was truly beautiful. Not long after, when they kissed on the top of the tower to the right of the Astronomy Academy's stargazing tower, Xia De forgot about the boring topic of the kitchen—he wasn't Little Mia, after all.

But at ten o'clock that night, the girl didn't let Xia De return to the library to see the librarian. Because the final stop of their brief academy tour was the "Moon-Viewing Tower" located behind the academy library.

The tower was seven stories high, and its very top was the highest point of the entire St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy.

This was the "dormitory" for generations of library administrators, and of course, it also served functions like a laboratory. Daniste had inherited this place after Ms. Helena Carter went missing, though she had actually come here almost every day during her apprentice days.

The tower was connected to the second floor of the library by a passageway, but one could also reach the interior of the tower by walking on the ground or through a portal.

The red-haired girl didn't tell Xia De what this place was at first. The slightly naive outsider thought this was just an auxiliary tower of the academy library.

And when the two took the elevator to the top floor of the tower, and Xia De saw the bed surrounded by red tulle illuminated by moonlight, the stacks of books piled beside the bed, and the brass telescope set up at the window, he understood immediately:

"We are here to stargaze and watch the moon, right?"

Then he was lightly punched by the girl, and Xia De laughed himself:

"The living conditions here are quite good. The seven-story tower belongs to you; this is much larger than my house."

"But there is only one person living here after all, and sometimes it can be a bit lonely."

The red-haired girl took off her coat and threw it on the carpet, then hugged Xia De:

"I originally thought it would be many years before you moved in. I didn't expect that you would also be... spending the night here so soon."

Xia De felt that the fabric of the student uniform she was wearing felt quite good:

"Then, Miss, the academy hasn't arranged a dormitory for me yet. So, tonight, would you allow me to stay in your dormitory? I swear I won't steal your soap."

The girl in his arms laughed immediately:

"Since you put it that way, then I will allow you to stay temporarily. But you must be careful; I kindly took you on a tour of the academy and kindly shared my dormitory with you, just so you can study better at the academy in the future, not for you to come here to sleep with a sorceress."

Xia De replied:

"Yes, yes, Senior Sister."

The red-haired girl's face turned bright red instantly; she hadn't expected Xia De to say such a thing:

"What are you saying? I am your... Do you want to go soak in the hot spring together? There is a hot spring bath in the basement of the tower; although it can't compare to the one in the woodland, it's still quite nice."

She gave Xia De a gentle push, trying not to appear too impatient, but she said:

"Don't be in such a hurry; the night is still long, and I won't let you go home."

"Yes, yes, I have already made arrangements for Little Mia, so I don't need to go back tonight either."

The two of them set off together to go downstairs again, taking the stairs this time instead of the elevator, as Dannister wanted to tell Xia De about the function and purpose of every floor here:

"Although this tower has been renovated, the main structure still dates back to the founding of the Academy in the Fifth Era... I confirmed it with Amelia; Miss Blaney Olanod's former bedroom should also be in this tower."

"Why tell me this?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly thought of it. I don't mean to compare myself with others; that's something only immature girls would do."

By the time she finished speaking, she couldn't continue, but fortunately, the two had already reached the next floor via the stairs, so they could start a new topic.