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“Did you really see Lord Si Sheng go to the dean’s office?” The one speaking was a lady with small round glasses and slightly graying hair. She wore a pair of low-heeled shoes and they made a clear sound as she walked swiftly in the corridor. Behind her, several students were following.
“Really, we all saw it with our own eyes. We can’t be mistaken.” One of the leading students answered firmly.
“Did Lord Si Sheng come here alone?”
“No, there were two men we don’t know with him. One of them is younger and seems to be around the same age as us.”
The lady heard this and stopped. “Around your age?”
“Yes.”
“What about the other one?”
“The other one is in his 20s and is very young. He looks a bit like…”
“Like who?”
“Senior Li Zhecheng! I saw his picture in the honor window.”
The lady’s expression became more serious. Her eyes flickered like she had guessed something. Then she stepped forward again and headed toward the dean’s office faster than before. She had just gone around the corner when she nearly hit a student.
The student was short, black-haired, dark-eyed and wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses. He was full of bookishness. He saw the lady and his expression lit up instantly. “Deputy Dean Chris, I’ve found you!”
“It is you, Su Lin.” Deputy Dean Chris frowned. “I know you want to change departments but it isn’t in compliance with the rules. I have something I’m busy with now. Let Amy and the others explain it to you.”
Deputy Dean Chris bypassed the short boy and headed straight to the dean’s office.
“Deputy Dean, listen to me…” Su Lin saw it and followed in a hurry.
Amy was the one who had just answered Chris’ question. He wanted to see the marshal and didn’t want to miss such a good opportunity because of a fool like Su Lin. He saw Su Lin chasing after the deputy dean and pretended to try and stop it. Finally, he hurriedly rushed to the door of the dean’s office.
Deputy Dean Chris was a bit annoyed when she saw Su Lin following and the other students unable to stop him. Currently, the number one powerhouse of the empire was in the dean’s office and the person who came with him was likely to be an even more noble existence. She couldn’t ignore it but what was going on with these students? Why were they coming with her? They should look at the occasion too!
“Deputy Dean Chris, I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Please listen to my appeal!” The student called Su Lin watched Chris stop and stepped in front of her, blocking her way. “The warrior department really doesn’t suit me. Please let me retest my talent! I am 16 years old this year and I will have to leave the academy in two years. I don’t want to continue wasting this precious time. I really want to transfer to the spiritual department! I think I can do it. Deputy Dean, please!”
“Do you think you can do it?” Deputy Dean Chris was angry. “Do you know how rare it is to be a spiritual elementalist? Last year, only two graduates reached the one star level!”
“That’s right.”
Amy and the other students who followed also helped.
“Su Lin, you are 16 years old. You have been in the academy for so many years and you haven’t even reached the half star level. Some of the newly enrolled students are better than you!”
“Half a star? No way? I feel like he isn’t even a quarter. Your talent in the warrior department is so bad yet you want to enter the spiritual department?”
“The spiritual department are all great gods!”
“Su Lin, accept reality. In any case, you are an elementalist. Stay peacefully and once you turn 18 and graduate, you will be able to enter the local guard army.”
Su Lin turned red. He bowed his head and pleaded to Chris, “Deputy Dean. I really can do it. I really have talent… please let me try it!”
“Everyone took the talent test at 5 years old. Are you questioning the teacher who tested you at the beginning?” Deputy Dean Chris’ expression was gloomy as she spoke. “Su Lin, if you have time to waste here, you should make good use of your time and try to improve your strength. Even if you join the local guards, it doesn’t mean you’ll have no worries. If you don’t have enough strength, you won’t be able to go anywhere!”
Su Lin paled and tears formed in his eyes while Amy and the others nodded in agreement. It wasn’t obvious but their eyes were somewhat contemptuous and bored when they looked at Su Lin. They felt he was too whimsical and failed to appreciate kindness.
Just then, a girl couldn’t help saying, “Su Lin, you better go back. We are here to see Lord Si Sheng. It isn’t good to let Lord Si Sheng see you like this…”
Su Lin bit his lip. Just as he was full of despair, the door of the dean’s office abruptly opened.
“What’s wrong with that?” A clear, youthful voice spoke lazily.
Everyone was startled and looked over. The beautiful boy held a feathered pen in his hand and walked out slowly while playing with it. He was a young man with long silver hair draped over his shoulders and his lavender eyes were slightly curved, looking like two beautiful crescent moons.
The male and female students were a bit stunned at this moment but… wait! Purple… wasn’t this the symbol of the Roland imperial family? Only the nobles knew this but among all the people present, Su Lin was the only commoner. So this person was actually…
Amy and the others exchanged looks. They all saw the shock in their eyes. Should… they salute?
Xu Sili didn’t care about them. He glanced at the blond-haired man behind him and asked, “Marshal Si Sheng, do you think it isn’t good?”
Si Sheng watched him, gray-blue eyes deep and fascinating. He looked at the spirited little emperor and no one else. He answered lightly, “There is nothing wrong with it.”
Xu Sili raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by the cooperation that had happened many times. This guy… did he take the wrong medicine?
He shrugged and looked back at Chris. “I agree with the Deputy Dean’s words. If you don’t have sufficient strength then it won’t work anywhere.”
Deputy Dean Chris looked at Xu Sili, stunned for a moment. She recovered and was about to salute, but she didn’t expect him to say such a sentence. Her face softened a bit. She was just about to open her mouth when she saw the young man glancing at Su Lin.
“But.. it is always rare to be omnipotent.” The young man’s voice was leisurely. “Ordinary people have to go the right way first if they want to be strong. If the direction is chosen incorrectly, it doesn’t matter how hard you try. It will be difficult to reach the top of the mountain.”
Deputy Dean Chris was stunned hearing this.
Meanwhile, the despairing Su Lin raised his head and stared at Xu Sili blankly. “You… you mean…”
His voice was a bit choked up and he couldn’t speak properly. Xu Sili saw the black hair and dark eyes and felt a touch of kindness. He took out a handkerchief and handed it over.
Su Lin hadn’t expected this young man who was obviously a noble to treat him like this. He took it with trembling hands but his eyes were still staring at this person. The words just now were like a light in the darkness, rekindling hope for him who was succumbing to despair. However, this hope was like a candle in the wind and could be extinguished at any time.
Xu Sili watched him and smiled softly. “Your name is Su Lin? I think you do have the talent of a spiritual elementalist.”
It wasn’t speculation. His tone was very certain. The reason he was so certain was naturally because… the panel in front of him was showing it.
[Su Lin]
[Identity: NPC
Personal Level: Lv 2
Health: 4000/4000
Magic: 500/500
Elemental Affinity: Wood
Occupation: Spiritualist]
This data… was terrible! Xu Sili had been so miserable yesterday. In fact, Su Lin had a thousand more health points than Snow Roland and his magic wasn’t much different. Of course, it was different now. In just one day, he had been promoted to level 5 and he had more than 1,000 experience points. Once his career direction was determined, he could gain two more levels. This was the benefit of the player leveling system!
Xu Sili thought so and felt more sympathy for Su Lin.
He had heard it all from the office. This child was 16 years old this year.  Based on the fact that he entered school at the age of 5, he had practiced and studied in the warrior department for 11 years but his talent was actually partial to the spiritual department. The reason wasn’t known but during the talent test, he was assigned to the warrior department.
“Let’s do it.” Xu Sili proposed. “I was going to have Dean Justin test my talent. You came at the right time.”
He turned to the old man behind him. “Dean Justin, there should be no problem letting him do the test with me, right?”
“No problem, no problem. Whatever Your Majesty says!”
Dean Justin had just been tricked. How dare he disobey the emperor again? Not to mention, it wasn’t a big deal. It was just a bit more energy. He looked at the deputy dean. “Chris, you came at just the right time. Please help bring the crystal ball to test talent. We will wait for you in the office.”
Deputy Dean Chris’ face was pale but Dean Justin’s words confirmed her guess. The silver-haired young man in front of her was indeed the new emperor who just took the throne! So even though she was a bit dissatisfied with Su Lin, she didn’t say anything. In any case, he should give up after using the crystal ball to do the test. As for this emperor…
She would have to organize her words later to make him step back.
Unlike other people who disapproved of the new emperor, Deputy Dean Chris supported Snow Roland. After the death of the emperor, the Roland Empire might’ve been in chaos if the third prince hadn’t ascended to the throne. She felt deep regret that the first prince and second princess died for the nation but she respected their courage and enthusiasm. She just always felt that a ruler who put themselves in a dangerous place wasn’t as reliable as the young emperor.
Now it seemed that this emperor was still too young! He thought that she and Amy were deliberately making things difficult for Su Lin and helped out. Well, forget it. Facts spoke louder than words. He would understand once the results came out. It was just a pity that the energy of the crystal ball would be wasted.
Then again, why did His Majesty suddenly come to re-test his talent?
Snow Roland had tested his talent when he was 5 years old. At that time, he was an ordinary human and had no affinity for the elements. Xu Sili knew this as well. It was just that in his memories, Snow Roland never gave up. He learned meditation from the second princess and insisted on practicing every day.
After so many years, he had only barely reached level 2. Nevertheless, this example let Xu Sili know that Snow Roland wasn’t completely without talent. He even had an affinity with the rare sound element! Therefore, there might be certain problems with the Elemental Academy’s method of testing talent. However, if there was a problem, why hadn’t anyone discovered it after so many years?
Xu Sili frowned while deep in thought. Si Sheng stood silently beside him, making the guard captain Li Zhecheng completely lose his sense of existence.
Soon, Deputy Dean Chris fetched the crystal ball while Su Lin dried his tears and followed them into the office.