Since the Hundred Academy Exchange would last for nearly a month and hadn't officially begun yet, most people were still in a relaxed state.
Throughout the Magic Tower, groups of three to five students could be seen chatting, wandering around, and familiarizing themselves with the environment, making for a casual and pleasant atmosphere.
Except for Greg.
"Hey, damn cowgirl! I know you can walk on your own, so get off and walk up yourself! I need to go find my own room too!"
After placing all the girls' luggage in the residential area, Greg was still carrying a woman who reeked of alcohol on his back.
Due to the overwhelming number of people using the elevator, he had no choice but to laboriously climb the spiral staircase inside the Magic Tower, fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.
Olivia slumped on his back, her arms loosely draped around his neck. Her long, wavy wine-red hair swayed against the side of his face with every step Greg took, giving off a scent that mixed alcohol with a floral fragrance.
Though her cheeks were currently flushed from intoxication, one could still discern an unmatched beauty from her exquisite, mature features.
"I refuse~ Those folks upstairs always think that an outstanding woman like me couldn't possibly be popular with men. Today, I can use that face of yours to show off properly."
Olivia murmured against Greg's back, her tone thick with drunkenness and a strange sense of pride.
Greg's temples throbbed violently:
"Don't you think starting rumors with your own student is far worse than not being popular with men!?"
"What does it matter~ It's not like you're losing a piece of meat..."
"I'll lose plenty of pieces of meat! It might even get me chopped into pieces later on!"
Just as Greg was engaged in this meaningless tug-of-war with the Headmistress on his back, he rounded a corner and bumped into a figure coming his way.
It was an elf with hair as white as snow.
She stood before a corridor window where the afternoon sunlight streamed down through the high panes, casting an almost translucent luster over her already fair skin.
Her long white hair hung down to her waist, the tips swaying gently in the breeze.
Her eyes were a pale silver, like the surface of a lake bathed in moonlight—clear, detached, and devoid of any superfluous emotion.
She had a tall, slender posture and wore a simple white-and-green robe with a longbow slung across her back.
Just by standing there quietly, her entire presence resembled a clear moon—beautiful and distant, as though separated from the mortal realm by an invisible divide.
Greg recognized her.
Luna Starfall, the Headmistress of Branch-String Sanctuary Magic Academy, one of the Five Great Magic Academies.
Not only was she a Great Archmage whose magical mastery surpassed LV80, but she was also exceptionally skilled in archery, making her one of the story's power ceilings in this world.
In the original novel, although her appearances were brief, every single scene she was in left a profound impression.
Her defining trait was that regardless of the situation, no emotion ever registered on her face. At the same time, her personality possessed a touch of an airhead quality, often causing her to blurt out caught-off-guard remarks.
Most importantly, according to the original novel's lore, she and his own Headmistress, Olivia, were extremely close friends in private.
The moment Greg saw her, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He could finally pass off this hot potato on his back.
He was just about to greet her when Luna's gaze bypassed Olivia on his back entirely and landed on his face.
She stared at Greg's face for a few seconds.
Then, she reached out and unceremoniously touched Greg's arms, shoulders, and even pinched his biceps through his clothes, her movements as natural as picking out a cabbage.
"........."
Greg didn't know what to say about this behavior. Either way, he certainly didn't dare resist, terrified he might accidentally get slapped to death.
Fortunately, the process didn't last very long.
Luna quickly withdrew her hand, raised her head, and looked at him calmly with her silver eyes, speaking up:
"You... do you want to become my disciple?"
"Huh?"
Now Greg was completely dumbfounded.
His brain went into overdrive.
He remembered that in some routes of the original novel, Greg Sass had also attended the Hundred Academy Exchange through connections and met Luna.
However, in the original novel, Luna showed little interest in Greg Sass, let alone offering to take him as a disciple.
Yet now, she had taken the initiative to extend this invitation...
Greg quickly realized the cause behind this event: his Constitution stat, which had reached a staggering 8 points.
In this world, an ordinary human mage's Constitution was roughly around 2 to 3 points. Elves fared slightly better, but their stat hovered between 5 and 6 points.
Meanwhile, his Constitution stat of 8, forged through dungeon training and system enhancements, already placed him among the highest tier of physical purity.
For an elf like Luna, who was a master of archery, this was perhaps far more appealing than raw magic talent.
Just as Greg was pondering how to respond, Olivia raised her head from his back. Fueled by alcohol, she chimed in with a sarcastic tone:
"What's wrong? Has a closet pervert of an elf like you finally started craving men? Too bad! He's a student I personally raised from scratch, so there's no way I'm handing him over to you. You can only stand by and watch! Hahaha!"
Greg cut her down without hesitation: "I don't recall ever being raised by you!"
Luna ignored Olivia's taunt completely. Her silver eyes remained fixed calmly on Greg as she continued:
"I am only stronger, not weaker, than the nympho on your back, so you don't need to worry about her threatening you."
Those words acted like a lit match, instantly igniting Olivia's fuse.
She leaped down from Greg's back with an agility that was completely uncharacteristic of someone who had just been wasted.
Steadying her balance, Olivia reached into her clothes and pulled out a revolver-shaped magic conduit of a peculiar design. Aiming the muzzle straight at Luna, her eyes took on a sharp, serious edge:
"Hey, I can't just pretend I didn't hear that. Care to give it a shot?"
Luna remained silent, but her hand was already slowly reaching for the bow at her back.
Mana in the air began to surge violently, as if two invisible forces were colliding in the corridor.
The surrounding temperature seemed to plunge, and the wind outside the window grew increasingly rushed.
Standing between the two of them, Greg felt an overwhelming pressure that seemed capable of tearing space apart, and sweat instantly drenched his back.
If two Great Archmage-level figures were to duel right here, he didn't know whether anyone else in this Magic Tower would survive, but he was certain he would be dead meat.
And didn't the lore say these two were close friends in private!?
Where exactly is the 'close' part!? I'd really like to know!
Rate on N.U.
