Chapter 59: Return to the Academy (Please recommend and add to your favorites!)

After carefully checking himself once more and finding no omissions, Lando turned his gaze to the shattered armor. After a brief consideration, he abandoned the idea of taking it with him. With a thought, his figure gradually blurred and vanished from the heart of the world.

Outside.

Seiko complained impatiently, "What is that little guy doing? He clearly consolidated his will just now, so why hasn't he come out yet?! Didn't he see us? What a rude brat!"

Moritz, however, remained calm and smiled. "Children often get carried away when they receive a new toy."

"Hey, this isn't a toy! It's an important discovery!"

"Yes, it's important. But what does it have to do with you? Why are you so nervous?"

"...You bastard, burning the bridge after crossing it, huh?!"

"What do you think?"

"You—"

A silent ripple in space interrupted their bickering, and a figure appeared beside them.

As soon as Lando opened his eyes, he found two pairs of eyes fixed upon him. He immediately bowed to Moritz. "Hello, Professor Moritz."

Then he turned to Seiko. "Hello, Professor."

Seiko, dropping all traces of his earlier complaints, grinned, "Good manners, little one. So, what did you encounter between worlds? Did you see anything strange?"

Moritz's cheerful expression changed instantly; he frowned. "Seiko, you shouldn't ask about these things."

"If only the two of us know, I can keep your secret." Seiko gestured toward the warship. "Given the situation, you don't still believe the kid will get the lion's share, do you? Instead, why not join forces? We might secure more benefits for him."

"That's none of your concern!" Moritz turned to Lando. "For the next few days, do not speak of anything that happened. Understand?"

Although Lando didn’t quite grasp the situation, Moritz’s stern demeanor convinced him, and he nodded seriously.

Now it was Seiko’s turn to protest. "Hey, you’re hurting him. Even if the kid joins your faction, he won’t withstand that kind of pressure."

"Lando was brought back by Carter, and Brother Otto has always intended to take him as a student."

Here, ‘student’ didn’t mean the ordinary teacher-student relationship of the academy, but rather a tradition dating from ancient times—a true heir.

Seiko fell silent for a moment, then said, "Even Otto isn’t enough. If Lando were in the third stage, there’d be hope, but he’s still far from it. The Heart of the World is too important. It not only aids third-stage arcanists but also allows for constructing a world laboratory. The elders won’t patiently wait for him to mature; at most, they’ll grant him some extra benefits."

Moritz, however, smiled confidently. "Brother Otto is now a Grand Arcanist!"

"..."

"?!" Seiko rubbed his ears, puzzled. "What did you just say?"

"Brother Otto is now a Grand Arcanist!"

"..."

"You heard me right. Grand! Arcanist!"

Seiko’s eyes widened, his mouth opening so wide it could fit an entire watermelon.

Lando worried his teacher might explode on the spot, but Seiko finally regained his composure and exhaled deeply.

"No wonder he's the strongest genius of the new Silver Tower generation." With these words, his spirit seemed to drain away, leaving him listless.

Moritz, who had intended to mock Seiko, lost interest upon seeing his dejected state.

…

The days that followed settled into a calm routine. The warship's initial purpose was to investigate the anomalies of this world and to retrieve Lando.

There was no need to search for the cause anymore; as Seiko put it, it was certainly related to the strange artifact in the Heart of the World. Now that the boy kept silent, there was no point in further research.

In the end, it took only a week to complete the world anchoring array. A small team stayed behind to establish a magic academy, while the main force prepared to return home.

During this time, Lando spoke with Professor Moritz about the world’s affairs—the Four Ancient Kings, the Brasov family, and finally Hanna, though he omitted anything related to himself.

…

Since the fleet’s destination wasn’t the academy, Lando teleported directly back once they reached a suitable location.

Moritz returned as well. Normally, someone awaiting review like him wouldn’t be permitted such freedom, but Seiko simply waved him away with a dark expression. He knew Moritz would likely be fine and that his earlier worries had been unnecessary.

Upon returning to the academy, Moritz instructed Lando, "Go back to your room and stay there for the next few days. Don’t go anywhere. I need to deal with some troublesome matters myself."

Lando nodded. He didn’t understand what these troublesome matters entailed, but he did understand he was to stay in his dormitory.

Back in his room, gazing at the familiar surroundings, he was surprised to feel a warmth and comfort.

"I’m home!"

"Beep... Hibernation mode deactivated... Booting... Boot complete..."

"Welcome back, Lando."

"White, did you miss me?"

"...Hibernation protocol does not process emotions."

"…"

…

Meanwhile, Lando remained unaware that his affairs had begun to stir within the Silver Tower faction.

Numerous arcanists—even legendary ones—were itching to act.

Yet the spread of another piece of news temporarily suppressed this storm. Even the most unwilling fell silent, waiting for developments.

Otto, the legendary figure of the new Silver Tower generation, had completed the crucial step of advancement, becoming a Grand Arcanist!

What did this mean?

It meant the Silver Tower’s influence would further expand!

It meant Otto would become the next rotating Speaker!

It meant, after his term, Otto would become the next Silver Tower Master!

As such a person's apprentice, Lando truly had the qualifications to keep those coveted benefits!

…

At the same time, Otto was joyfully traveling through the void when he received an urgent transmission. Glancing at it, he stopped in his tracks.

"That little fellow caused such a commotion? How interesting!"

He looked ahead, where a massive deep-red planet was faintly visible.

"How unfortunate!" With a sigh, Otto changed course toward the nearest teleportation point.

…

After two days in his dormitory, Lando discovered that staying home was actually quite comfortable.

He reread the books on intelligent cores and suddenly realized that his former self was utterly clueless. How could he not understand such simple material?!

Now, reading these, it was like a PhD graduate reviewing elementary school problems—rather than working out solutions, the answers appeared instantly!

PS: The first arc is finally over. Lando has completed his most basic accumulation, and now the world view of this book will slowly unfold. Please look forward to it!

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