Chapter 1: The Village Where the Professor Lives (1)

Winters in the empire were extremely cold; snow began to fall as early as the beginning of December, and temperatures dropped sharply. Perhaps due to the snow, the carriage moved very slowly. After leaving Riox Academy, after what seemed like a long time, Jiang Zhe and his group were still on the snow-covered roads. The carriage was well insulated, so at least the children didn’t feel any cold at all. By the window, a girl named Lavia stared blankly at the falling snow, her expression suggesting she was recalling something. Scott too—unusually, this boy, considered a model of noble upbringing, wasn’t reading a thick book but kept looking out at the snowflakes. Of course, this was partly because the girl with long hair sitting across from him, named Lelirra, kept sneaking glances at him from time to time. “Giggle!” A light laugh came from inside the carriage, from a girl named Lisa. Allen, sitting across from her, was telling some amusing story in a peculiar tone, making the short-haired girl laugh uncontrollably. Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes in exasperation at Allen’s tricks to make little girls laugh. He propped his head on his hand and gazed out the window, yawning from time to time. These yawns drew cold snorts from Lavia, who was by the other window. It seemed the two of them weren’t getting along well… Jiang Zhe felt a bit stifled. To his left was Allen, still making the little girl laugh, and across from him was Dia, who was studying a stack of documents with a frown. Jiang Zhe glanced at them—everything seemed to be related to illusions. He knocked on the window and said helplessly, “Professor, are we there yet?” “Almost, almost!” Professor Hod repeated the same words over and over, but his credibility grew weaker with each repetition. Professor Hod was sitting outside, driving the carriage. Although it was extremely cold outside, for a professor skilled in fire magic, the cold posed no problem. Perhaps feeling awkward talking only with Allen inside the carriage, Lisa looked out the window and said, “This is my first time seeing Sassen’s snow. It feels just like back home, right, Avi?” “Hm?” Lavia, who had been staring blankly out the window as if lost in thought, snapped back to reality. Her expression wasn’t good as she forced a reply, “Mm, right… just as white… very beautiful!” “Is classmate Fahuaria from the north?” Allen asked curiously.

“Just call me Ravia,” Ravia said with a soft sigh and a nod. “Yes, in the northwest of the empire…”
“Altak!” Lisa interjected. “The farthest northwest territory of the empire, a principality covered in heavy snow…”
“Oh, isn’t it very cold there?” Allen asked in surprise.
“Not at all!” Lisa shook her head and explained. “Although Altak is covered in snow, it isn’t extremely cold, and it’s very beautiful, truly beautiful… By the way, Allen, my hometown is right on the border of Altak, a bit closer to Aivi… What about you, Allen?”
“Oh, me?” Allen scratched his head and smiled. “My hometown is in the south. Well, it’s warm all year round—Operiales…”
“Huh?” Lisa was puzzled, her face full of confusion. “Operiales… I seem to have heard that name before; it sounds familiar…”
“Hmph!” Scott beside Allen snorted. “How could you not be familiar with it? It’s the largest city in the empire, as well as the richest and most prosperous one—Operiales, a city said to be blessed by the gods!”
“I’ve heard of it too,” Lelira said in surprise, looking at Allen in disbelief. “I heard it’s a city on par with Sassen…”
“Heh, it’s okay. Maybe I’ve been there for so long that I don’t really notice much…” Allen shrugged indifferently.
Still, Lisa seemed very interested and kept asking, “Allen, Allen, what kind of city is Operiales? Does it snow there? Is it as beautiful as Sassen?”
Facing Lisa’s questions, Allen waved his hand and smiled. “It rarely snows in the south, beautiful lady… As for beauty, I remember there are lots of flowers in the city, along with some green trees…”
“Is that all you remember?” Scott found it hard to believe and shook his head. “According to statistics, one-third of the empire’s wealth is concentrated in this city. Like the magical city of Vando, Operiales is a city governed by merchants. Almost everyone living there is wealthy, with even more wealth than the nobles of Sassen. That’s why the relationship between Sassen and Operiales has never been good…”
“Huh? Aren’t they all cities of the empire?” Lelira asked bravely.

Scott glanced at Lelira briefly before hesitantly explaining, “In the eyes of Sassen’s nobles, Opereles is a nouveau riche, while in the eyes of Opereles’ wealthy merchants, Sassen’s nobles are a bunch of pretentious paupers. In truth, both sides envy each other—the nobles envy the merchants’ wealth, and the merchants envy the nobles’ status… Under previous imperial regulations, merchants were not allowed to hold titles, but it seems those rules have been relaxed in the past couple of years…”
“Ahah, right! That’s why my old man donated a huge sum of money to get himself a count title!” Allen said cheerfully, finding nothing wrong with that statement.
“Hmph!” Scott snorted lightly at this, but his expression didn’t seem aimed at Allen so much as at the concept of ‘nobility’ itself.
“What about Miss Lelira and Senior Dia?” Allen asked.
“Me?” Lelira glanced secretly at Scott before lowering her head. “My hometown is close to Lisa’s. My father used to be an imperial officer, but for some reason, he was transferred away from Sassen. As an ordinary small-town lord, he always said one shouldn’t cater to others for power or wealth but should stick to one’s principles…”
“Oh? So he was transferred because he was stubborn and refused to curry favor with the elite? What a foolish guy!” Scott sneered lightly, causing the girl across from him to look upset. Even Allen was surprised and turned to look at Scott in astonishment.
Lelira’s face turned red as she raised her head to defend herself, only to see the cold boy’s gaze filled with complex emotions. For a moment, she forgot how to explain.
“Though foolish… it’s actually said quite well,” Scott remarked indifferently.
Seeing Ravia and Lisa staring at Scott with angry expressions, Allen cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. “What about Senior Dia?”
“Me?” Dia placed the documents carefully beside her and smiled. “There’s not much to say. My father was also an officer, but he retired after being injured in battle. It’s quite ordinary…”
“Oh,” Allen nodded as if suddenly understanding, then turned to look at Jiang Zhe beside him. “Jiang Zhe, it’s just you left! Although Scott and I have been with you for almost a year, we’ve never heard you talk about your hometown. You can’t use ‘I can’t remember’ or ‘There’s nothing to say’ as an excuse anymore!”

“Really can’t remember?” Jiang Zhe glanced at Allen and said irritably, “What’s there to say? I remember I said it from the start—Scott and La… that person over there also heard it…”
“What do you mean, that person over there?” Lavia frowned and turned to Jiang Zhe, speaking unhappily.
“Alright, alright,” Scott said, pushing up his glasses to defuse the situation, “I remember you said it was near Ron, right?”
“Mhm!” Jiang Zhe nodded and added, “But actually, it’s further west than Ron…”
“Further west?” Scott was stunned and asked in surprise, “Weren’t you saying Ron?”
“Didn’t I say that? Ron is where I started my journey to Rex Academy. I’m further west than that…” Jiang Zhe paused, thinking for a while before looking at everyone in the carriage who were staring at him and made up an excuse, “Uh, in short, it should be near Ron.”
“Do you live there, Sos? With your family?” Dia asked softly.
Feeling the curious gazes of everyone, Jiang Zhe inwardly smiled bitterly. After thinking for a moment, he continued to fabricate an answer, “Actually, I’m an orphan, so…”
“An orphan?” The children in the carriage were shocked, especially Lavia, who stared at Jiang Zhe in astonishment.
“That’s how it is…” Jiang Zhe smiled bitterly as he tried to figure out how to explain it clearly. At least he couldn’t say, “I’m not from your world, right?”
Suddenly, he thought of Old Roy, the farmer, and half-jokingly said, “It was an old couple from a farm near Ron who took me in and I lived there for a while…”
“Oh!” Everyone understood then.
“Have you always been alone, Sos?”
Jiang Zhe looked up and saw it was Dia who had spoken. He shrugged and said, “Yeah, I’m used to it…”
“No family?”
“Ah, no…” As he spoke, Jiang Zhe saw Dia’s face filled with concern and worry. Somehow, it felt somewhat familiar to him.
A very familiar feeling…
This gentle warmth, this sense of care…
When?
When had he ever felt this before?
In his past life? Impossible!
Then it must be…
No, there was no one around when he woke up…
Speaking of which, why was his name Jiang Zhe? That name…
And that unknown magic circle on the back of his left hand…
Ugh…
“What’s wrong, Sos?” Dia, who had been watching Jiang Zhe, noticed something was off.

“Nothing,” Jiang Zhe said, shaking his head. Through his white gloves, he touched the back of his left hand with his right, then covered his forehead and added, “I might be a bit tired… a bit sleepy…”
“Heh!” Jiang Zhe’s words made Allen beside him find it amusing. Teasingly, Allen said, “Dude, it seems like you’re getting more and more sleep these days… Are you possessed by Hypnos?”
“Hypnos? The god of sleep?” Lisa giggled, and the other girls also found it funny.
“Is that something a magician should say?” Scott frowned and glared at Allen before pushing up his glasses and speculating, “Gods? There’s no evidence for that at all. I think it’s more likely he’s under a curse. But I haven’t noticed any signs of a curse on Thos. Maybe he’s just too tired. After all, Thos can’t rely on meditation to boost his magic power. Using up his magic power repeatedly takes a huge toll on his mental strength, so it’s possible he becomes sleepy…”
“Can’t meditate? Thos?” The girls across from them were shocked. Aside from Ravia, who knew about this from their two months of getting to know each other, Dia was particularly surprised. She exclaimed, “No way? Thos’…”
Glancing at Jiang Zhe with envy, Scott saw that he had no intention of hiding anything, so he briefly explained his talents.
“Wow, there’s really such a thing…” Like Lisa and Lailira, Dia was very surprised. But Ravia snorted disdainfully and said, “It’s all his own fault! Rapid magic power recovery is something many magicians dream of. And this guy… sleep is something that can be controlled! If he has a strong will, sleeping a few hours less every day to focus on magic would make his strength far greater than it is now… Of course, if his will isn’t strong enough, just wake him up, right? In short, it’s because he doesn’t try hard enough!”
At Ravia’s words, Scott and Allen exchanged a look and said with a smile, “That won’t work!”
“Hm?” Ravia was puzzled.
“Hehe,” Scott glanced at Jiang Zhe, and Allen beside him explained helplessly, “The thing that guy hates the most is being woken up while sleeping. When he’s sleep-deprived, his temper becomes terrible…”
“Really?” Jiang Zhe found it strange.

“None?” Allen exclaimed, eyes wide, “I still remember the look in your eyes back then—it scared me so much that I quickly put my shield in front of me…”
“Hey, come on, isn’t that an exaggeration?”
“No,” Allen said with a grin, scratching his head, “but when you first woke up, you were in a pretty bad mood. Both your gaze and tone of voice were very different from usual… Well, after a while, it got much better… Right, Scott?”
“Hmm, it’s a bit exaggerated, but that’s exactly what happened,” Scott nodded. “I’ve heard of similar things—during sleep, people’s subconscious may attack those they perceive as hostile. Even if an unfamiliar person approaches, they might act strangely. For those who are highly alert, the slightest noise will wake them up. It’s quite normal.”
At that moment, the carriage stopped, and Professor Hodde opened the door from the outside.
With a gust of cold wind, the professor said with a smile, “What are you discussing? Get out, kids—we’ve arrived!”
Glancing at the moon in the night sky, Jiang Zhe said helplessly, “Professor, is this what you call a ‘nearby village’? It’s an eight or nine-hour journey!”
“Hehe,” Professor Hodde smiled awkwardly and explained, “That’s because there’s been a lot of snow this year. To prevent the carriage wheels from slipping, we had to move slowly. Last year, when I was alone, I made it in just three hours!”
“Three hours…” Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes helplessly before getting off the carriage and observing the small village ahead.
“Be quiet, kids. Don’t disturb the local residents. It’s already late…” Professor Hodde reminded them as the children got off one by one.
It was a village named Rio, an ordinary imperial village.
Generally, the empire classified cities, towns, and villages based on population. When a village’s population grew to a certain level, it could become a town. In the empire, a town needed to have at least 800 to 1,000 inhabitants, though the level of prosperity in the area was also an important factor.
According to Professor Hodde, this village wasn’t very large—its population was barely over 200, and they were all ordinary commoners. So, it was just a village.

Unlike castle structures, villages do not have castles, as the people who live here are commoners—simply put, farmers—who belong to the lower classes of the empire. They have neither the money nor the status to live in castles.

Yet even villages have walls to protect their inhabitants from bandits and wild animals, such as the wooden, vine, and fence-covered walls that Jiang Zhe and the others saw. The village was built along a small river; although the river was now frozen, wooden steps used for drawing water could still be seen. By the river was a small water mill, about ten yards across in all directions. Not far from the mill was a windmill, whose blades turned with the wind, causing piles of snow to fall.

The houses in the village were scattered, mostly made of wooden frames—perhaps because it was close to Sassen. The living conditions for the commoners here were relatively good, whereas in ordinary imperial villages, houses were usually made of mud and bricks. The style of the houses resembled the small Western-style cabins he had seen in his past life. As night deepened, the villagers returned to their homes, with faint light from their windows illuminating the snow outside.

Perhaps because this place didn’t match his expectations, Scott asked in surprise, “Did Professor Hode used to live here?”

“Oh,” Professor Hode nodded and said softly, “This is the village where I used to live. Are you a bit disappointed? That a professor lives in such an unremarkable village?”

“Uh, a little…” Scott awkwardly pushed his glasses up.

“Hehe,” Professor Hode appreciated the boy’s honesty and bent down with a smile, “Not all magicians like to live in bustling big cities. The noise outside can interfere with their research. How many magicians do you know who like hustle and bustle? Of course, although I don’t conduct any research, I also enjoy this peaceful atmosphere… Alright, let’s all grab our luggage. It’s already late; we need to prepare our place to stay—I haven’t taken care of that damned house in a year; it’s probably covered in dust.”

“Giggle!” The girls, except for Lavia, giggled.

“Where does the professor live then?” Allen, carrying a heavy bag filled with armor and a knight’s sword, looked around and pointed at a larger house. “Is it there?”

“Hehe, that’s the village chief’s house—I think so,” said Professor Hod, pointing to a path leading deep into the village with a smile. “Go down this path; my place is at the end…”
“Ah? We still have to walk there?” Allen pulled a long face and sighed, looking at the heavy bag in his hands.
“Enough, stop complaining,” said Professor Hod cheerfully. Then he noticed Jiang Zhe standing there in a daze and walked over, asking with a smile, “What’s wrong, Sos? Isn’t it because you’re too disappointed?”
“No, Professor,” Jiang Zhe shook his head, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. Somehow, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and sadness.
“Since you’re not disappointed, let’s hurry. Once we get there, we still have a lot to do—cleaning the house, boiling water, and so on.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Following Professor Hod’s guidance, the children walked deeper into the village along the paths. They didn’t like the slippery surfaces. Along the way, they encountered the village chief, an old man who was checking the village with a few young men—things like the village bonfire and any strangers.
These young men addressed Professor Hod as “Mr. Hod,” seemingly not very aware of his true identity. Only the old village chief added “Respected” to his address, clearly knowing who he was.
After saying goodbye to the old village chief, Professor Hod led Jiang Zhe and the others deeper into the village. After passing through a small grove, they finally reached their destination—a seemingly ordinary three-story wooden building.
This made the girls breathe a sigh of relief. After all, as a magician and a professor at the Rexox Academy, he surely wouldn’t live in a commoner’s house, right?
But with a creak, Professor Hod pushed open the door of the house, and the dust that rushed in made the girls step back a few steps.
“Haha, as I thought,” said Professor Hod, waving his hand to disperse the dust. “Alright, children, this is where you’ll be staying for over a month. Don’t expect any magic that folds space in this house, nor expect the ceiling to light up with just a spell… Come in! Sos, help me light the fireplace. The firewood should be piled next to it.”
“Okay, okay,” Jiang Zhe glared at the professor irritably before going in. With a “whoosh,” a fireball appeared in front of him. Using the light from the fireball, he examined the facilities in the room.

“Be careful, don’t set my house on fire!” Professor Hodde’s voice came from behind.
“How could that happen!” Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes, controlling the fireball to circle the house until it reached the fireplace. At that moment, Ravia also used magic to light the candles on the long table, instantly lighting up the room.
“Boom!” After casually throwing in some kindling, Jiang Zhe ignited the fireplace with a fireball, and the burning flames emitted waves of heat.
“Professor…” Allen wiped the dust off the long table with his finger, then looked at it strangely and said, “It’s really messy here…” He glanced around at the cluttered room.
“Ahem,” the professor seemed a bit embarrassed. After coughing twice, he said, “This is just my residence, not Professor Riox’s office. Besides, it hasn’t been cleaned for a year—this is normal. Not all magicians are as meticulous as you might think…”
“Does the professor live here alone?” Ravia asked curiously after looking around.
Professor Hodde froze for a moment before changing the subject. “Well… enough of that. If you don’t want to live in a dusty room, there are two empty rooms on the second floor for you girls. The boys can sleep in the attic. Do you have any objections?”
“Of course not!” the girls said with smiles. In contrast, Scott and Allen looked somewhat puzzled—maybe they had never encountered such a situation before?
“The attic…?” Hearing Professor Hodde’s words, Jiang Zhe looked very confused.
At that moment, a howl came from the forests in the distance…