“Zhu Qiu, what did that old man give you? Would you mind showing it to us?”
Zhu Qiu thought back for a moment.
Wasn’t it a rusty sword?
She’d left it in her room back then, and then the sword disappeared, turning into a slime that called itself the Sword Demon.
Oh, right! The Sword Demon.
“The Demon Sword!”
“Demon Sword? What’s a Demon Sword? A weapon?” Yiluo Enya asked.
“Yeah, it’s a weapon. But I don’t like it because I already have my own weapon. I don’t need someone else’s.”
“Then can you take it out and show me?”
Zhu Qiu thought about it.
It wasn’t a big deal.
It was just a sword, after all.
Taking it out to look at wouldn’t affect her in any way.
She closed her eyes and tried to summon the Demon Sword the same way she usually summoned her Holy Sword.
In a moment, a sword radiating purple light slowly gathered in front of her.
When she opened her eyes, she grabbed the sword in one swift motion.
“Here, this is the Demon Sword.”
“Wow!”
For some reason, Yiluo Enya’s face lit up with surprise when she saw the sword.
Maybe because it looked incredibly powerful?
Or was there another reason?
Yiluo Enya’s eyes went wide with admiration.
“So this is the Demon Sword. It must be incredibly powerful, right?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never used it before. And how do you know it’s powerful?”
“Because I saw you use it before! Back then, thanks to you, we made it to where we are now.”
“Huh? I used it?”
Zhu Qiu was baffled by Yiluo Enya’s answer.
“Of course! Back then, we accidentally teleported into the Human Race’s territory and got chased down.”
“We even ended up trapped in a cage, and when magic was useless, your Demon Sword saved us.”
“We managed to turn danger into safety and escape.”
Yiluo Enya still remembered that incident clearly.
Being on the edge of life and death made it unforgettable.
Zhu Qiu had no recollection of what happened back then.
She only remembered being locked in a cage and then waking up lying outside.
“Did I?”
“You did! Anyway, none of that matters now.”
Yiluo Enya’s face lit up like she’d just had an epiphany, and she grew excited.
“Since the Demon Sword that old man gave you turned out to be something great, then this seed must be something great too.”
Yiluo Enya leaned closer to Zhu Qiu.
“When you first got the Demon Sword, did you also have no idea how to use it?”
Zhu Qiu hesitated for a moment, then answered, “Yeah.”
“See! I don’t know how to use it now either, but I’ll definitely figure it out later. Maybe it’s a weapon just as impressive as the Demon Sword.”
She held the seed in her hands and started dancing around.
“That person told me to water it on schedule. Maybe that’s the key to activating the seed, hehe~”
Yiluo Enya was completely lost in the joy of having found a treasure.
“Ha…”
This was the first time Zhu Qiu had ever seen Yiluo Enya act like this.
It seemed to clash a bit with her usual impression of her.
“Okay, okay, Zhu Qiu. I’m fine now. Let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow is an important day.”
Yiluo Enya put the seed back in the box, poured a little water inside so it covered half the seed, and finally placed the whole thing in the wardrobe to keep it safe.
The day was over.
It was time to sleep.
“Goodnight, Maka Bakka.”
“Goodnight, Wushidixi.”
“Goodnight, Zhu Qiu.”
“G-goodnight, Yiluo Enya.”
A night without dreams.
In the middle of the night, the seed in the box quietly swelled a little, and a tiny crack formed on its shell.
Unexpectedly, the next morning, Yiluo Enya was up bright and early just like always.
“Good morning, Yiluo Enya.”
“Good morning.”
The two exchanged a simple greeting, finished their morning routines, and, in perfect unspoken understanding, prepared to head out.
To be absolutely safe, Zhu Qiu also stashed some of the delicacies she’d brought from the Dragon Race Imperial Palace on herself, just in case she got hungry on the way.
They arrived at the academy gate, where the sign for the First Academy of the Dragon Clan still stood.
Walking inside, they noticed that the students weren’t heading to their own classrooms like before.
Instead, everyone was moving forward along the central path.
“Yiluo Enya, where are they all going?”
“According to what the teacher said, we’re not going to class this morning. We’re gathering at the open field at the back of the academy so the activity requirements can be announced all at once.”
“I see. Then let’s go together.”
Zhu Qiu naturally took Yiluo Enya’s hand, her dragon tail wagging happily behind her.
She seemed really excited about this activity.
Facing Zhu Qiu’s initiative, Yiluo Enya felt a little shy.
‘Whatever, I’ll just go along with it.’
That said, the academy was the academy.
Honestly, it was also a place that showcased the diversity of species.
As the two walked forward normally, three tall male students deliberately blocked their path, moving at a snail’s pace and getting slower and slower.
Zhu Qiu figured they didn’t have eyes on the backs of their heads, so she tried to lead Yiluo Enya around them.
But every time she changed direction, they followed.
They were doing this on purpose!
But before Zhu Qiu could say anything, all three guys turned around in unison.
“Yo! Isn’t this the academy’s noblest, only exchange student—the grass-element student from the Elf Race, Yiluo Enya? What’s this? No partner, so you’re picking up some brat who can’t even use magic?” said the one in the middle.
The two lackeys beside him chimed in.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“No need to say more.”
“We of the Fire Dragon are the noblest of the entire Dragon Race. We’re the perfect counter to your Elf Race’s grass magic. As for the one who can’t even use magic, there’s no need to even mention her.”
Those two big chunks of speech left Yiluo Enya completely stunned.
‘Bro, did we do anything to you? Do you really have to attack us with words right off the bat?’
‘The activity hasn’t even started yet, and we’re already being disgusted?’
Zhu Qiu, standing beside her, didn’t say anything at first.
She just stared hard at the three of them.
These three were just like the two academy guards from before—no manners, no upbringing, no class at all.
She really couldn’t understand how people like this got in.
Seeing Zhu Qiu step up, Yiluo Enya gained some confidence.
After all, she’d seen her strength with her own eyes.
“I suggest you don’t block our path.”
“I don’t want to start a conflict with you. And besides, I’m aiming for first place.”
Hearing an Elf say she was going for first place made those three lose it completely.
They burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha!”
“You? First place? Don’t make us laugh. If an Elf could take first place in a Dragon Clan academy activity, then we might as well stop calling this the First Academy of the Dragon Clan and rename it the First Academy of the Elves. Hahahaha!”
The three of them laughed so hard they could barely breathe, slapping their thighs with their hands.
Zhu Qiu watched their smug, petty faces and got angrier the more she thought about it.
This was going too far!
“You better knock it off!”
Without hesitation, she pulled out the sword Teacher Jimi had given her and pointed it straight at the leading Dragon.
“Do you want to spar with me?”
The leading Dragon refused to back down, conjuring a small fireball in his hand.
Both sides glared at each other, neither willing to give an inch.
The battle was about to erupt.