Chapter 68: Ye Tian Is a Servant

Page 1 of 3 Chapter 68: Ye Tian Is a Servant

“Gray, Gray, get up!” Rebi yanked the covers off. “It's time to clean up, and besides, why did you take so many books without permission?”

“Oh, is it morning already?” On the bed, a young man scratched his head. “Good morning, Rebi.”
“Save the greetings, just get up, eat something, and start cleaning. And these books—return them!” the girl said, fuming.

“Yes, yes, I understand!” The boy scratched his head again. “I need to change—are you going to watch?” He finished with a mischievous grin.

“Who wants to watch you!” she retorted, cheeks flushing as she dashed out of the room.

Looking at the breakfast on the table, the boy smiled, yawned, and glanced at the stack of books beside him, suddenly feeling a wave of frustration. How much longer would these days last?

The youth before us was none other than Ye Tian, who had left the Imperial Capital six months ago. In that time, the city had undergone dramatic upheaval: a prince’s rebellion, the queen’s suicide, and then, a month later, the death of Charles V. The one who ascended the throne was not the surviving Prince Dilufi, but rather Princess Reicina, who had just recovered from a serious illness!

As for the White-robed Bishop, he had become silent after returning to the church—rumor had it he was severely punished. Old Bradis, of course, had died as well, even before Charles V, but not before laying out a set of policies to ensure his family’s survival.

Mickey and Kana had married in a grand ceremony—Mickey had been promoted and was now the most sought-after figure in the Principality of Leighton. Ye Tian had learned all this later, because he had spent the intervening time traveling, on his way to Fepuli Academy.

He didn’t find Taya and the others, but Ye Tian wasn’t worried; they shared the same destination, and their paths would cross eventually. For now, he arrived first. He had missed student admissions, but managed to find a way in—by working as a general helper.

Yes, Ye Tian’s current identity was that of a servant, cleaning all the places that needed it. The girl, Lela, was his supervisor, responsible for training him—not that he needed much; Ye Tian was diligent, meticulous, and learned quickly, often picking things up after seeing them just once, much to Lela’s satisfaction. Her only complaint was Ye Tian’s obsession with books.

Yes, obsession, to the point of losing sleep and forgetting to eat—though only during his off hours at night. Lela rarely saw him sleep properly, and she was both puzzled and concerned.

“What are you looking for?” she had once asked.

“Nothing, just searching for clues to get home.” That was the only answer Ye Tian ever gave, and he never spoke of it again.

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“Tastes pretty good.” After so long in this place, Ye Tian’s palate had gradually adapted; at least, sandwiches were no longer hard to swallow—though they tasted good, too.

Changing clothes, Ye Tian gathered up the books he’d finished and set out to return them before beginning his cleaning rounds across the campus. It was still early; few students were about—only the rare industrious type. Ye Tian hurried to the library, took out the key, and opened the door.

“Uh, this one goes here, that one there, and this one, and this one...” Ye Tian looked at the books in his hand, thinking. “That’s the fifth shelf, upper tier, third row, fifty-first book from the bottom,” came a pleasant female voice.

“Oh, thanks!” Ye Tian turned—and was confronted by an angry, lovely face. “Gray, you took books home again!”

“Well, I couldn’t sleep last night, just trying to kill time!” Ye Tian replied sheepishly. “Let me return them first!” With that, he scurried off at top speed.

“You!” the petite girl behind him shook her fist, stomped her foot, and began sorting out what she needed for the day.

“All right, all right.” Ye Tian grinned, running back to her. “By the way, those books you recommended weren’t quite what I was looking for. Got any more?”

“None of those work? What exactly do you want?” the girl huffed.

“Just like before—anything about spatial magic, or even some obscure historical records,” Ye Tian said with a smile.

“Spatial magic? Go learn it yourself!” she replied, disgruntled. “Spatial magic is the most advanced kind—only archmages can really master it, not even the headmaster is necessarily proficient. Why are you studying it?”

“It’s useful, really useful. Please? I’ll make you some roast chicken if you help.”

“Two roast chickens!” the girl demanded without hesitation.

“Deal!” Ye Tian agreed at once.

“Let me think about it—I’ll tell you this afternoon,” she said.

“Thanks!” Ye Tian darted away.

“Don’t forget the roast chicken!” the girl called after him.

“Got it!”

First stop was the training grounds, where apprentice magicians practiced. Only by passing the trials here could one earn the title of magician and advance in strength step by step.

“Hey, Leighton, up early today,” Ye Tian greeted the boy ahead with a smile.

“Oh, Gray, thank you!” the boy exclaimed, bowing quickly.

“Hey, hey, don’t let anyone see that. Didn’t I tell you not to do that?” Ye Tian protested.

The boy scratched his head, embarrassed, and grinned sheepishly.

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The boy before him was Leighton Hilton, a youngster blessed with extraordinary luck. He’d barely passed the magical aptitude test and treasured the opportunity, working hard but making no real progress.

Ye Tian had once come to clean the training ground and found Leighton asleep there. Moved by sympathy, he’d taught him a few small tricks. Leighton had no special affinity for any element, unlike those naturally attuned to fire or water, which put him at a disadvantage. But while others only focused on their main element, Leighton was different—if he could master it, he’d be adept not just at water and fire, but wind, lightning, and more.

Magic elements, Ye Tian realized, bore a striking resemblance to the five elements he knew. Understanding this, he taught Leighton some fundamental principles of mutual reinforcement and restraint. Leighton’s magical level hadn’t improved, but his spell power had noticeably increased, and his outlook had become more cheerful.

“Go get some rest—you still have classes later.” Ye Tian smiled.

“Are you really not a magician?” Leighton asked. Ye Tian’s theories were so profound, even their teachers might not know them. Leighton never understood why Ye Tian wasn’t a magician.

“Really, I’m not. I don’t have a trace of magic power. Your sense for it is faint, but you should be able to tell.” Ye Tian smiled. Magicians were naturally attuned to elements and could sense them easily, but there was no trace of magic around Ye Tian.

“All right, go get some sleep. I’ve got to clean up here,” Ye Tian said, gesturing with his mouth.

“Sorry,” Leighton said, scratching his head.

“Run along,” Ye Tian replied, grinning.

“Heh heh,” Leighton chuckled and ran off.

Watching Leighton’s retreating figure, a smile touched Ye Tian’s lips. In times like these, boys with any innocence left were rare. At least, Ye Tian had never considered himself innocent—maybe he once had been, which was why he valued Leighton so much.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted!” Ye Tian stretched, picked up his tools, and got to work on his chores for the day.