Show Them a Fierce One - chapter 10

On this morning at the Dormitory breakfast table, there were finally other students present-almost all fair-skinned, beautiful female Elves. When Anuo and Ludwig came down from upstairs, the first thing they saw was a row of pointed ears.

The Elves all looked up, their previously distant and indifferent expressions shifting into faint smiles upon seeing the Prince Brother, Anuolaide. They rose in perfect unison to greet him, just as they had every time before. Yet after sitting down again, they all kept a certain distance from Anuo, none of them rudely initiating conversation.

Ludwig unfolded his napkin, inwardly surprised. He had noticed this before, but never so clearly; his Prince Brother “Senior Student” always seemed soft and gentle, yet within his own race, he commanded such respect and admiration.

At least from the strict hierarchical perspective of the Demon Race, if the superior does not permit it, the inferior simply has no right to speak first, even if you are classmates sharing the same table.

But from the Elf perspective, the nature of the matter was entirely different. The female Elves were not afraid, but rather felt shy. Although Queen Salamander had advocated for gender equality for years, under the influence of long-standing matriarchal traditions, any well-bred female Elf would never rashly approach a male Elf for conversation-only frivolous girls would do so.

Anuo had lived in the Elf Race for one hundred and eighty years and was long accustomed to their unique ways.

Sometimes, his mind would even wander to odd thoughts. For example, from the Elves’ point of view, he and Lud, in their eyes… weren’t they just a pair of close girlfriends who even went to the restroom hand-in-hand?

Anuo was amused by his own creepy idea.

He ate his sunny-side-up egg with a silver fork, cheerfully asking his purple-eyed “girlfriend” beside him, “What-is-the-Demon-Race-like?” He was full of curiosity about the Demon Race, and once the turmoil in the Demon Realm ended, he was determined to visit.

“Red skies, gray earth. Except for a few important cities like the capital Pandemonium, most regions are extremely barren, and living conditions are harsh. Standing atop the city walls, all you see are bare yellow-brown rocks and raging dark storms everywhere. The vast gap between rich and poor has created a fierce and tough populace.” Ludwig described his homeland objectively. This was also the fundamental reason why the Demon Race repeatedly clashed with other races-they needed resources.

The only advantage of the Connacht Region in the Demon Realm was that the magical elements in the air were denser than elsewhere, but the excess of dark elements was also the direct cause of the barren land.

It was like trace elements in the human body: none at all means you can’t survive, but too much is deadly.

“But Pandemonium is beautiful, just as most Bards describe-a dazzling city that never sleeps, with golden sand rivers, magic crystal floors, and even the palace gates are made of mithril.” Even during the fiercest civil war, it remained brilliantly lit. When Ludwig’s legion broke through the palace gates, he could still faintly hear decadent music inside. Extravagant, luxurious, and intoxicating.

Ludwig had always disliked it, yet he hoped that all places in the Demon Realm could enjoy such prosperity, just as every Elf in the Elf Race lived without worry.

“If you’re free this summer, I’d love to invite you to visit the Connacht Region,” Ludwig said.

Before Anuo could happily respond, their conversation was abruptly interrupted-because Anuo’s sister, Her Majesty Salamander, took time out of her busy schedule to call and scold him via Magic Communication.

The communication technology on the Falres Continent seemed both backward and magical to Anuo. The backward part was that slow, horse-delivered letters were still mainstream; the magical part was… there were also many fast and convenient methods, no less advanced than modern ones, and in some ways even simpler. Unfortunately, the cost was too high to be widely adopted.

For example, using Wyverns to deliver messages.

The first time Anuo saw a flock of Wyverns, each about the size of a horse, flying across the sky above Kabala Forest, he was utterly enchanted. Only a three-heads-tall little Elf, with a head of white curls, gazed up at the pink-blue sky, dreaming of one day becoming a glorious Dragon Knight.

Until his sister told him that those were not Dragon Knights, but ordinary Wyvern messengers.
Wyvern Courier Service, mission guaranteed-no matter if the letters and parcels must cross the entire continent, it takes at most two to three sun cycles, that is, two or three days at most.

At the age of three, Anuo immediately changed his ambition: he wanted to become a glorious Wyvern Courier!

The little queen with a tiny crown: …Are you asking for a beating?

Of course, the Elf Prince Brother’s “great aspiration” ultimately didn’t come to fruition-not because of any hierarchy between professions, but because if Anuo really delivered letters at his speed, the Wyvern Courier Company would probably go bankrupt.

Among the communication methods favored by the bigwigs, Wyvern Courier Service could be considered simple and thrifty. Those with even deeper pockets would directly use a Long-Distance Teleportation Array, sending a servant along with the letter. Constructing and maintaining a teleportation array burns a massive amount of Magic Crystals, so only someone like the Elven Queen, who has no shortage of mines, could afford to teleport back and forth across thousands of miles just to hold a mini parent-teacher meeting for her brother. The finances of smaller towns might not even be able to cover the cost of activating it once.

Between Wyverns and teleportation arrays, the more popular choice among the bigwigs is a type of array called “Magic Communication,” which has only become widespread in the past century.

Undoubtedly, this too was invented by the Alchemist funded by Anuo, and the patent fees alone are enough for the two of them to rest easy on the merit rolls for centuries.

Magic Communication arrays also require burning Magic Crystals, but since they only transmit voice and images bidirectionally, the consumption remains within a controllable range. When the Dwarf Principal of Sky Fortress previously expressed his wish to speak with the Elven Queen, this was the method he suggested-no one expected the Elven Queen to show up in person.

“You didn’t go to the chapel yesterday.” This was not a question, but a statement. The silver-haired queen lightly tossed her long hair and narrowed her eyes, exuding an effortless authority. “Qinke said she tried to contact you but couldn’t reach you. You’d better give me a reasonable explanation.”

Anuo: “…” If I say I overslept, would you believe me?

Of course Salamander would believe it-how could she not? That sounds exactly like something her brother would do. When it comes to faith, she has to admit, her brother has never taken it seriously. If he ever did, that would truly surprise her.

Salamander has always accepted her brother’s lack of faith; in her eyes, it’s no big deal. But when it comes to her brother’s health-or potential health issues-she’s not so easygoing: “I’ve heard about you becoming a Guidance Senior. As long as you enjoy it, I have no objections. But it can’t interfere with your proper duties. Anuolaide, have I made myself clear enough?”

“!!!” Calling him by his full name was already clear enough-sob.

Anuo swore to his sister that visiting the school chapel was already part of his schedule for today.

He wasn’t lying about this. After Ludwig mentioned it yesterday, he’d already planned to make up for that missed step. It’s truly essential for new students. In the curriculum arranged for freshmen at Sky Fortress, they can freely choose any subject of interest, but the three to four weekly chapel sessions are absolutely mandatory-they count toward credits.

Of course, once you become a senior student, it’s no longer required; it’s up to personal preference.

In Anuo’s original plan-before he knew Ludwig was a senior student-he intended to go to chapel together with his friend in the future. Given how diligent he is with attendance, he could guarantee Ludwig would ace the religious etiquette course. The priest teaching this class happened to be a Light Church pastor, who was on good terms with Anuo.

After breakfast, Anuo took Ludwig once again in his carriage, heading for the highest peak of Academy Mountain. Besides the grand hall for entrance exams and the first Training Ground for retests, the most important building there was the school chapel.

The four fine horses pulling Anuo’s carriage, after a short run-up, all spread their wings in unison, carrying the golden carriage steadily into the blue sky. Yes, the horses of Anuo’s carriage were actually the most expensive part of his birthday gift-they were four Pegasus Subspecies. Normally, they look much like ordinary horses, but when needed, a pair of magical wind wings would appear on their sleek backs, helping them conquer the skies.

This was also Anuo’s favorite part of the carriage. He’d been eager to show it off to his friend since yesterday. Now, his eyes sparkled as he looked at Ludwig.

Although the black-haired Demon Race, familiar with magical circuits, had already realized at first sight that these were four magical creatures, he still graciously remarked, “I didn’t expect them to fly. No wonder they seemed more majestic than regular horses when I saw them before.”
Prince Brother was extremely satisfied with this model answer, basking in joy and pride. He reservedly produced a cardboard sign he had prepared long ago, which read-If you need, I can ask my sister to prepare two more for you.

This Pegasus Subspecies, capable of both land and air travel, is unique to Kabala Forest, just like the Unicorn. Unless you are a Beastman who can naturally communicate with magical beasts, only Elves across the continent can tame them. This isn’t a matter of gold; it’s a matter of rarity-there’s simply no market. Elves only gift them to their friends.

Ludwig thought to himself that, in less than three days of knowing each other, this wealthy Elf Prince Brother had already given him several gifts-some expensive, some cheap. The common thread was that they were all things Anuo thought he needed at the moment.

Ludwig couldn’t help but ask, “Are all Elves like this?” Especially fond of giving gifts?

“Only-to-kin-and-friends.” Anuo had lived for one hundred and eighty years in such an environment. Even after arriving at the Sky Fortress, those female Elves who usually kept a proper distance from him would always generously offer help the moment they saw he needed something.

Ludwig found it hard to describe his emotions at that moment. In theory, he should be delighted that Elves were so easy to fool, but in reality, he only wanted to carve “the human heart is treacherous” deep into the other’s mind.

He wasn’t usually one to meddle, but after much thought, Ludwig could only attribute all this to his instinct to protect his own Origin Power. After all, his Origin Power was currently residing in the soul of this silly Light Elf before him.

The next moment, the elegant carriage suddenly shook violently, and the Pegasus Subspecies neighed incessantly.

Anuo’s carriage was equipped with a Shock Absorption Array, so for such intense shaking to occur, something serious must have happened outside. The two looked out the window and indeed saw billowing smoke and heard a thunderous roar, along with a ripple of Ancient Dragon Language Magic swiftly spreading through the air-a traditional circuit distinct from modern magic.

Anuo’s reactions were usually slow, but in emergencies, he acted faster than anyone else, just like when he accidentally unleashed an overpowered Forbidden Spell at the Training Ground. All thanks to his sister Salamander’s special training.

Anuo immediately drew his Staff, not only casting a transparent protective shell over the entire carriage but also using protective spells to save many classmates who had been thrown into the air.

Then, to everyone’s astonishment, the Crimson Dragon, about to crash into Academy Mountain, was suddenly bound from head to tail by two golden chains of light descending from the sky. Losing its wings, it immediately lost balance and began to plummet rapidly. Waiting for it midair was a golden net of light.

With the force of gravity pressing down, the result was the entire dragon bouncing hard, flung even higher into the sky.

The biting cold wind of the troposphere finally sobered up the drunken dragon. Its thick tail began to swing back and forth, trying to break free from its shackles, but it was like a kitten caught by the scruff by its mother-its massive body remained stiff throughout, barely managing to maintain a strange posture with vibrating wings.

And Anuo, who had accomplished all this in an instant…

Was still in shock.

With his previous abilities, he would never have been able to contend with a tough-skinned Crimson Dragon. Especially a drunken one, whose brute strength would be at least a level higher. He had only instinctively used a few spells, and then a miracle happened.

He…

Had become so strong.

Author’s Note:

Nonsense Skit:

I hope the Dragon Race understands: Of all the roads, safety comes first. If you fly recklessly, your loved ones will shed tears.

PS: “Flight” is actually the name of a Cocktail, pale purple and very pretty. It can also be called “Return to the Sky” or “Cloud Nine,” created in tribute to the Wright brothers’ first successful airplane flight.