<p>Chapter Ten: Naya Adelaide</p>
<p>Seeing Sergey’s unusually “well-meaning reminder,” Shaya subtly frowned.</p>
<p>He had clearly just made a harsh remark, yet the way he emphasized the words “Lord Viscount” seemed to carry a deeper meaning.</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>Tilius lifted his head and glanced at Shaya, speaking softly, somewhat embarrassed.</p>
<p>“It’s nothing. Just a guy who needs to be dealt with,” Shaya shook his head. “But what about that remark he made before leaving? Do you have any clues?”</p>
<p>While it wasn’t impossible that the other party was bluffing, recalling the sealed document that hadn’t arrived these past few days, along with the rumor Mr. Sital had mentioned, something felt amiss.</p>
<p>“Perhaps it’s because he’s not your match, so he feels some resentment.”</p>
<p>Tilius thought for a moment before offering a hypothesis.</p>
<p>In the academy, aside from Shaya, all first-year students and most second- and third-year students were still stuck at the initial first tier of the knight retainer stage, striving day after day with the goal of advancing to the squire stage.</p>
<p>Even with a distinguished mentor and various inherent advantages, gaining advancement in realms in this world was still very difficult, not only in knight training but also in magic training.</p>
<p>Except for a very few exceptionally talented noble students from well-off backgrounds who could get ahead, the progress of the vast majority was like this.</p>
<p>In the past decade, although Shaya’s upgrading speed had been rather slow, he had already reached the squire realm, becoming a standout among his peers.</p>
<p>And Sergey was that typical minor character used in every novel to highlight the protagonist’s stature. At the beginning of the school year, he had foolishly provoked Shaya, just when the academy had a longstanding tradition of knight duels. So without revealing his true realm, Shaya had beaten that guy in the dueling arena.</p>
<p>Thus, whenever Sergey saw Shaya afterward, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated.</p>
<p>However, Sergey’s reaction just now had taken Shaya by surprise; upon closer inspection, it even contained a hint of schadenfreude and a sense of being emboldened.</p>
<p>Shaya recalled Sergey’s actions just now, glanced around, and noticed a few students observing him with subtle glances. When they saw him lift his head, they hurriedly averted their gazes.</p>
<p>Indeed, something was off.</p>
<p>“Tilius, are there any rumors about me circulating in the school these days?” Shaya asked quietly.</p>
<p>The other party paused for two seconds, then shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know. I don’t have any friends aside from you.”</p>
<p>How strange.</p>
<p>Shaya set down his spoon, took a small sip of raspberry juice, and observed his surroundings with his peripheral vision.</p>
<p>Soon, he made a new discovery.</p>
<p>Aside from the commotion caused by Sergey earlier, those students still secretly watching him were clearly upperclassmen based on their uniform styles and colors.</p>
<p>As expected, just as Mr. Sital had said.</p>
<p>But he hadn’t had any interactions with the upperclassmen, making it hard to connect the dots.</p>
<p>If he had to find a connection, it seemed to be with her.</p>
<p>Remembering that slender and petite figure, Shaya frowned slightly.</p>
<p>Naya Adelaide, 14 years old, had been accepted early into Norton Public Academy due to her outstanding talent, currently studying in the third year. She was the last remaining blood relative he had in this world.</p>
<p>Since the tragic incident in their village all those years ago, there had been almost no interaction between them. The few times they did meet were filled with coldness and distance, and there were times when Shaya nearly forgot he had such a sister.</p>
<p>When Naya was three years old, she had displayed an astonishing talent for magic and was spotted by a passing stranger, who proposed to take her as a disciple.</p>
<p>She claimed to be a grand mage from the royal capital, and after showing her membership badge from the Magic Association, she demonstrated several extraordinary spells.</p>
<p>After confirming her identity, Shaya’s father, the Viscount Adelaide, was immediately at a loss.</p>
<p>Since their ancestors began, their family had always remained in this barren territory, with no one ever stepping out. Now, an opportunity like this presented itself for their youngest daughter, should they let her venture into that vast world?</p>
<p>After contemplating for a day and night, they ultimately made a decision.</p>
<p>Though filled with reluctance, their parents did not wish to waste Naya’s talent in magic training and agreed to the grand mage’s request to take her as a disciple.</p>
<p>Before she left, it was asked whether Shaya could be taken along, to which the mage replied with a smile, “This little guy’s talent is quite lacking; there’s no need to waste time on this path.”</p>
<p>At that time, it left Shaya, who had yet to awaken his potential, feeling frustrated for quite a while.</p>
<p>As it turned out, barely a year after Naya left home, a tragedy struck their village, with the only two survivors being Shaya and Deyora.</p>
<p>At first, knowing that his younger sister was safe in the royal capital brought Shaya some comfort in his despair, as she might be his only family left in the world.</p>
<p>So, after arranging their parents’ funeral, he sold the estate and brought Deyora to the royal capital.</p>
<p>To Shaya, the estate was merely symbolic. If it was empty and cold, how could it be called a “home”?</p>
<p>Perhaps from now on, the only place that could truly be called “home” was wherever his sister was.</p>
<p>With such thoughts in mind, Shaya visited the grand mage’s residence according to the address he had, only to be shocked to discover that she was not only a young grand mage but also a court magician with a noble title!</p>
<p>The gap in status and identity was like heaven and earth, but Shaya did not feel disheartened; instead, he felt relieved about Naya’s current situation.</p>
<p>So he decided to meet Naya and comfort his sister, who might be immersed in the pain of losing their parents.</p>
<p>But when Naya appeared with a distant expression, bluntly stating that they need not meet again, Shaya suddenly realized that the girl in front of him felt very unfamiliar.</p>
<p>Initially, he thought it was because she had been too young when she left, lacking any childhood memories, which made her seem estranged.</p>
<p>But after repeated attempts to get close, until the final refusal to meet, he sadly understood that some things could never return.</p>
<p>From that day on, Shaya and his sister had hardly any contact.</p>
<p>Yet many years later, he still held questions in his heart: Even without deep affection and unable to become family, couldn’t they avoid such cold estrangement?</p>
<p>What on earth caused his once lovely and lively sister to become the way she was now?</p>
<p>Shaya even suspected if she had been coerced by someone, but with his limited ability to investigate, he found no abnormalities.</p>
<p>Thus, this question remained unanswered by anyone but Naya herself.</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“Shaya?”</p>
<p>Tilius waved his hand, trying to awaken his friend from his reverie.</p>
<p>“Hmm… what’s up?”</p>
<p>Shaya came back to his senses, shaking his head as he looked across the table.</p>
<p>Tilius pointed at his plate, reminding him based on countless experiences from Crazy Tuesday: “If the stewed meat cools down, the texture will become tough, and it won’t be as tasty.”</p>
<p>Shaya smiled slightly, setting aside all his thoughts as he picked up his spoon to continue eating.</p>
<p>Just then.</p>
<p>“Tap, tap, tap, tap…”</p>
<p>A series of light footsteps approached, echoing in the slightly empty dining hall, the rhythmic sound of heels gently striking the floor was crisp and beautiful, enough for one to imagine that the visitor must be an elegantly poised and beautiful woman.</p>
<p>Many students dining had their attention drawn away, and the once noisy hall gradually quieted down.</p>
<p>Since Shaya was facing away from the door, he didn’t turn to look immediately. Instead, Tilius, sitting opposite him, paused in his action about to feed himself a spoonful of stewed meat.</p>
<p>His expression was filled with surprise, anxiety, and a hint of well-concealed tension, much like the instinctive reaction when encountering a beautiful female.</p>
<p>Seeing Sergey’s unusually “well-meaning reminder,” Shaya subtly frowned.</p>
<p>He had clearly just made a harsh remark, yet the way he emphasized the words “Lord Viscount” seemed to carry a deeper meaning.</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>Tilius lifted his head and glanced at Shaya, speaking softly, somewhat embarrassed.</p>
<p>“It’s nothing. Just a guy who needs to be dealt with,” Shaya shook his head. “But what about that remark he made before leaving? Do you have any clues?”</p>
<p>While it wasn’t impossible that the other party was bluffing, recalling the sealed document that hadn’t arrived these past few days, along with the rumor Mr. Sital had mentioned, something felt amiss.</p>
<p>“Perhaps it’s because he’s not your match, so he feels some resentment.”</p>
<p>Tilius thought for a moment before offering a hypothesis.</p>
<p>In the academy, aside from Shaya, all first-year students and most second- and third-year students were still stuck at the initial first tier of the knight retainer stage, striving day after day with the goal of advancing to the squire stage.</p>
<p>Even with a distinguished mentor and various inherent advantages, gaining advancement in realms in this world was still very difficult, not only in knight training but also in magic training.</p>
<p>Except for a very few exceptionally talented noble students from well-off backgrounds who could get ahead, the progress of the vast majority was like this.</p>
<p>In the past decade, although Shaya’s upgrading speed had been rather slow, he had already reached the squire realm, becoming a standout among his peers.</p>
<p>And Sergey was that typical minor character used in every novel to highlight the protagonist’s stature. At the beginning of the school year, he had foolishly provoked Shaya, just when the academy had a longstanding tradition of knight duels. So without revealing his true realm, Shaya had beaten that guy in the dueling arena.</p>
<p>Thus, whenever Sergey saw Shaya afterward, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated.</p>
<p>However, Sergey’s reaction just now had taken Shaya by surprise; upon closer inspection, it even contained a hint of schadenfreude and a sense of being emboldened.</p>
<p>Shaya recalled Sergey’s actions just now, glanced around, and noticed a few students observing him with subtle glances. When they saw him lift his head, they hurriedly averted their gazes.</p>
<p>Indeed, something was off.</p>
<p>“Tilius, are there any rumors about me circulating in the school these days?” Shaya asked quietly.</p>
<p>The other party paused for two seconds, then shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know. I don’t have any friends aside from you.”</p>
<p>How strange.</p>
<p>Shaya set down his spoon, took a small sip of raspberry juice, and observed his surroundings with his peripheral vision.</p>
<p>Soon, he made a new discovery.</p>
<p>Aside from the commotion caused by Sergey earlier, those students still secretly watching him were clearly upperclassmen based on their uniform styles and colors.</p>
<p>As expected, just as Mr. Sital had said.</p>
<p>But he hadn’t had any interactions with the upperclassmen, making it hard to connect the dots.</p>
<p>If he had to find a connection, it seemed to be with her.</p>
<p>Remembering that slender and petite figure, Shaya frowned slightly.</p>
<p>Naya Adelaide, 14 years old, had been accepted early into Norton Public Academy due to her outstanding talent, currently studying in the third year. She was the last remaining blood relative he had in this world.</p>
<p>Since the tragic incident in their village all those years ago, there had been almost no interaction between them. The few times they did meet were filled with coldness and distance, and there were times when Shaya nearly forgot he had such a sister.</p>
<p>When Naya was three years old, she had displayed an astonishing talent for magic and was spotted by a passing stranger, who proposed to take her as a disciple.</p>
<p>She claimed to be a grand mage from the royal capital, and after showing her membership badge from the Magic Association, she demonstrated several extraordinary spells.</p>
<p>After confirming her identity, Shaya’s father, the Viscount Adelaide, was immediately at a loss.</p>
<p>Since their ancestors began, their family had always remained in this barren territory, with no one ever stepping out. Now, an opportunity like this presented itself for their youngest daughter, should they let her venture into that vast world?</p>
<p>After contemplating for a day and night, they ultimately made a decision.</p>
<p>Though filled with reluctance, their parents did not wish to waste Naya’s talent in magic training and agreed to the grand mage’s request to take her as a disciple.</p>
<p>Before she left, it was asked whether Shaya could be taken along, to which the mage replied with a smile, “This little guy’s talent is quite lacking; there’s no need to waste time on this path.”</p>
<p>At that time, it left Shaya, who had yet to awaken his potential, feeling frustrated for quite a while.</p>
<p>As it turned out, barely a year after Naya left home, a tragedy struck their village, with the only two survivors being Shaya and Deyora.</p>
<p>At first, knowing that his younger sister was safe in the royal capital brought Shaya some comfort in his despair, as she might be his only family left in the world.</p>
<p>So, after arranging their parents’ funeral, he sold the estate and brought Deyora to the royal capital.</p>
<p>To Shaya, the estate was merely symbolic. If it was empty and cold, how could it be called a “home”?</p>
<p>Perhaps from now on, the only place that could truly be called “home” was wherever his sister was.</p>
<p>With such thoughts in mind, Shaya visited the grand mage’s residence according to the address he had, only to be shocked to discover that she was not only a young grand mage but also a court magician with a noble title!</p>
<p>The gap in status and identity was like heaven and earth, but Shaya did not feel disheartened; instead, he felt relieved about Naya’s current situation.</p>
<p>So he decided to meet Naya and comfort his sister, who might be immersed in the pain of losing their parents.</p>
<p>But when Naya appeared with a distant expression, bluntly stating that they need not meet again, Shaya suddenly realized that the girl in front of him felt very unfamiliar.</p>
<p>Initially, he thought it was because she had been too young when she left, lacking any childhood memories, which made her seem estranged.</p>
<p>But after repeated attempts to get close, until the final refusal to meet, he sadly understood that some things could never return.</p>
<p>From that day on, Shaya and his sister had hardly any contact.</p>
<p>Yet many years later, he still held questions in his heart: Even without deep affection and unable to become family, couldn’t they avoid such cold estrangement?</p>
<p>What on earth caused his once lovely and lively sister to become the way she was now?</p>
<p>Shaya even suspected if she had been coerced by someone, but with his limited ability to investigate, he found no abnormalities.</p>
<p>Thus, this question remained unanswered by anyone but Naya herself.</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“Shaya?”</p>
<p>Tilius waved his hand, trying to awaken his friend from his reverie.</p>
<p>“Hmm… what’s up?”</p>
<p>Shaya came back to his senses, shaking his head as he looked across the table.</p>
<p>Tilius pointed at his plate, reminding him based on countless experiences from Crazy Tuesday: “If the stewed meat cools down, the texture will become tough, and it won’t be as tasty.”</p>
<p>Shaya smiled slightly, setting aside all his thoughts as he picked up his spoon to continue eating.</p>
<p>Just then.</p>
<p>“Tap, tap, tap, tap…”</p>
<p>A series of light footsteps approached, echoing in the slightly empty dining hall, the rhythmic sound of heels gently striking the floor was crisp and beautiful, enough for one to imagine that the visitor must be an elegantly poised and beautiful woman.</p>
<p>Many students dining had their attention drawn away, and the once noisy hall gradually quieted down.</p>
<p>Since Shaya was facing away from the door, he didn’t turn to look immediately. Instead, Tilius, sitting opposite him, paused in his action about to feed himself a spoonful of stewed meat.</p>
<p>His expression was filled with surprise, anxiety, and a hint of well-concealed tension, much like the instinctive reaction when encountering a beautiful female.</p>
