It has been six years since Victor registered in the standard academy of starlit academy. He found out that academy was more like an independent country that value wisdom above all else than an academy.
Starlit academy sits in Starlit Valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Besides the standard academy castle and the research building, there are row upon row of houses built for free scholars and researchers.
Starlit Academy has its own farm, they have cattle, cows, corn, vegetable fields and orchids maintained by free scholars who are obliged to work and produce in exchange for shelter and research subsidize.
New students, children or learned scholars would enter the valley through the narrow gorge between the cliffs along which Victor himself travelled in his first year and settle down in starlit valley.
Victor was showing the newcomers the way to the library when he heard a familiar voice from over head.
"Wake up, Vic! Professor Evans is watching you."
And the scene swayed as if in water, and Victor opened his eyes to see a tall woman with red hair and green eyes looking at him disapprovingly.
Damn, it was professor Evans' class, Fantastic beasts studies, his heart sank.
"It seems that Mr.Rail thinks himself very capable of distinguishing dragon eggs from lava stone." she said curtly. "And will you condescendingly tell us the four features of dragon eggs and the seven stages of its hatching?"
"Ehhh...the metephor stage, morphism..." he mumbled, trying his best to recall what little he remembered and trailed off.
He eyed Stuart who was sitting beside him for help but Stuart evaded his gaze. It was clear that Stuart had no idea even though he was awake.
"Mr.Rail, I doubt you will be able to pass the final exam in this state of learning." snorted Evans.
and she glared at Stuart, "And you too, Mr.Yue."
Stuart sighed.
"Miss Chaliov, tell these two what you know." Evans turned to the girl sitting adjacent to Stuart.
"The scaly armor, even heat distribution, smooth texture and alchemy resonance." said Chaliov.
"Excellent!" said Evans, "And why aren't you taking notes, Mr.Rail? Or do you believe you could remember that by heart?"
Stuart's previous claim of not being allowed to take notes was totally wrong, and Victor obediently jotted down the words onto his notepad.
"Seven Lords, she's a pain." mumbled Stuart.
Victor agreed with him in silence as he wrote. Going over his notes, he had the strangest feeling that he had seen something like that before.
"Smooth scaly armor, the heat..." he chewed the words in his mouth and was sure that it reminded him of something he'd seen more than once, as if in a dream.
But dragons are rare, and could only be found in the mythical northern tundra where he'd never been to. He couldn't possibly have seen one before.
"Mr.Yue and Mr.rail the two of you you have to come to my office for after class learning, I am very sure that you need this to pass the exam."Professor Evans' voice broke through his reverie and victor sighed in unison with stuart with varying degrees of dissatisfaction.
Victor and steward looked at each other and saw their own despair in each others eyes. They passed an arduous day reviewing with Professor Evans.
"For lords sake, stop groaning you two, this is for your own sake."Said professor Evans briskly when the aided reviewing finally ended,"I do hope you could pass the exam this time, Mr.Rail please dispense some of your talent in alchemy into fantastic beast studies."
Victor and stewart return to The lounge of the standard academy to finish their homework.
They did not have a lot of lessons each day but the workload is exceptionable large.
It was clear by this time of year that stuarts' claim of having no homework and not taking notes was a total scam.
"When can we be done with wizardry preliminary, I don't have a drop of magic in me.Why do they keep trying to turn totally normal and regular people into wizards, Just can't do that!"the orc Peter Lamfart was howling when they entered the student lounge.
"Keep it down you're making it hard for me to concentrate." Snapped the elf Aronie Orca.
As they step into the lounge and sat down in the the leather sofa the front of the hearth, Aronie came to them.
"Stuart, How's your preparation for the field study going?"She asked.
"What's that?"Stewart looked confused.
"Well professor Evans must have overwhelmed you."Aronie.smirked unpleasantly, "we've got a field study trip in the northern mountain range, remember? were supposed to gather the alchemy ingredients and note down the fantastic creatures we encounter, And we got a ride five inch parchment paper on what we can conclude about The origin of the Day of Triumph of lord Mona."
"An assignment from historical speculation?" Exclaim stewart in a hushed but nonetheless surprised voice, "Even professor IRIS is cracking down on us, is he angry with me because of the 'bald' joke last time?"
"Well whatever I'm going to be a couch potato today." Said victor calmly.
"Right deep breath, Things aren't too bad because it could only get worse." stuart nodded in agreement.
Aronie slapped him on the head.
"Hey!" Stuart yelled in protest.
"Are you stupid? You don't have to hand in those tomorrow, We've got a two-week holiday!"said Aronie exasperated.
"Huh?" Stuart wondered.
"Oh I remember now." Victor stood up from his couch and brightened up.
"Remember what?" Asked steward as confused as ever.
"Is the day of victory of lord mona, And the headmaster will give US or literally give the disciples of lord manor a two-week break! But everyone in started academy knows that we can worship any god whenever they come in handy! The professors will just let US off! We are not done for yet Stuart!"
"Wooh, Hoorah!" Stewart jolt it to his feet and clapped.
"Its Day of Triumph, you idiots." Said Aronie rolling her eyes.
Victor and stewart were back to themselves and they started to talk about the arrangement for the holiday. They totally ignored Aronie standing between them and conversed heatedly. Victor suggested that they could go boating in the startlit lake, But steward decided that good old professor areson needed some company, And ventured to invite Victor to Areson's barn.
"You are going nowhere!"Around the romney her pointy ears trembling with anger and contempt.
"What's up with you again elf!" Stewart turned on her, the continuous training and reviewing and the dramatic change from excitement to despair and excitement again had made him grumpy.
"Do you have red beans for brains? You are not going anywhere you are going to the field study!" Exclaimed Aronie.
"Who's being loud here." Mumbled Peter in an undertone.
Stuart tried to retaliate, but could find no words, Victor padded shoulders and he gave in saying "oh, yeah, fine."
"Starting tomorrow, if you want to have a holiday at all." Aronie pressed in.
"Okk." said Stuart.
"So why aren't you preparing your stuff?" demanded Aronie.
stuart was about to start when Victor grabbed his arm and led him to the dormitory.
and the door closed, and they were alone with each other, Victor asked Stuart calmly, "why are you so grumpy all the sudden?"
Stuart scratched his head. and replied, after thinking for a while, "I don't know I'm not usually like that it's that Aronie. She keeps getting to me, don't you think she's too bossy?"
"According to my observations", said Victor, "She's only bossy when it concerns you."
"Hmm." Stuart rested his head on his hands.
"and according to my conclusion of the human code of action and semi-human code of action." continued Victor, standing akimbo in front of Stewart and looking down at him the corner of his lips twitching.
"wow wow, using big words, Victor." grinned Stuart expecting to hear something funny.
it was something funny thought Victor, funny for him.
"She fancies you." Victor grinned back.
"Shut up." Stuart realized that this was a prank against him, so he feigned angry, and after a while, burst out laughing.
"Makes her almost forgivable!" he chuckled.
good night past in light, conversation and expectations for the coming trip, the gloom of the week had cleared out and revealed the joyous sunshine of the beginning of the holiday.