Lin Fan smiled brightly, giving Ke Lan a thumbs-up. "You passed! You really are the best. Always believe in yourself. See? They also say you're a genius."
"Mm." Ke Lan breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been so nervous, afraid of failing and disappointing her father. Now it seemed she hadn't disappointed him; instead, she had made him proud.
Actually, Lin Fan had also been a little nervous. If the old man had said his daughter was useless, he would have seriously told him that he was completely mistaken, and that if they wouldn't teach her, he would take her home and teach her himself. Although it would mean Ke Lan wouldn't experience the outside world or make new friends, he was determined to prove his daughter wasn't worthless.
The old man was very satisfied. Really good. He had found another promising seedling. With proper training, she would surely become a great mage. As for becoming a Saint-level mage, the effort required was beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Both hard work and luck were necessary; otherwise, there wouldn't be so few Saint-level mages.
"You said your daughter has great strength. Why don't we test it?" The old man recalled Lin Fan's earlier words with anticipation. If she truly possessed natural strength, perhaps she could be trained into a magic swordsman. And supplementing that with water magic would be quite good. Water magic had many branches, including ice magic and frost magic, both excellent for attack and support.
The old man raised his hand and chanted a spell, summoning an earth wall. "Attack the earth wall with all your might. Let me see how strong you are."
Ke Lan looked at Lin Fan, unsure what to do.
Lin Fan smiled gently. "Don't be nervous. Relax, just like you usually do. Use all your strength…"
"Mm, I know."
Ke Lan took a deep breath and clenched her fair hands. Hands like these looked delicate, suited for wielding a magic staff, not a crude sword. It seemed a pity.
She threw a punch. The force was substantial.
The old man was full of confidence. If she could even shake the earth wall, she truly possessed natural strength.
Just as he was thinking this, an astonishing scene unfolded.
Crack!
The sound of cracking echoed. The earth wall shattered, the sheer power shocking the gatekeeper.
"This…"
He was so stunned he couldn't speak, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Although it was just a casually cast spell, his earth wall wasn't easily broken, even by a six-star warrior. But now, it had been shattered by a young girl, with a single bare-handed punch. She truly possessed natural strength.
Shocked as he was, the gatekeeper maintained his composure. Calm, he must remain calm. He couldn't act like he'd never seen the world.
"Good, very good indeed. Truly naturally gifted. This young lady, our Royal Academy accepts! I'll take you to the Dean now to arrange your daughter's enrollment."
The gatekeeper was thrilled, as if recalling events from many years ago, when he himself had been discovered by the Dean. And now, he had also discovered such a talented student at the academy gates. With effort, she would surely achieve great things.
When the Dean learned of this, he was also shocked. A good seedling for a magic swordsman had appeared! He immediately put aside all his work.
Lin Fan found the people here very enthusiastic, bustling around for them. They even waived the tuition fees. As expected…talented individuals were sought after by everyone. Even if you didn't offer anything, others would offer you many things.
And now, Ke Lan was that highly sought-after individual.
Lin Fan didn't want to disturb Ke Lan's studies because of himself. After everything was arranged, he prepared to return to the village, allowing Ke Lan to focus on her learning.
"Dad, won't you stay here with me a little longer?" Ke Lan was reluctant to part and felt a little scared, a discomfort towards the unfamiliar environment. She hoped her closest family member could stay by her side.
Lin Fan stroked Ke Lan's head. "You should learn to grow up now. When I'm not around, you need to learn to take care of yourself. Don't worry me, okay?"
"Mm, I know." Ke Lan remembered the waived tuition. "Dad, take this money back. I don't need it here."
Lin Fan said, "I don't need it. Keep it for yourself. Buy whatever you want."
Gradually, Ke Lan waved goodbye to her father, tears in her eyes.
The Dean, standing beside her, said, "Your father is a great man. I can see the love he has for you in his eyes. You must study hard in the future."
"I know my father loves me very much. I will definitely work hard and let him know that his daughter is excellent," Ke Lan said firmly.
In the Goddess Dormitory, the rooms were for four people, each with their own bedroom.
At this moment, in the living room, three girls sat around the dining table.
"I heard a new student is moving into our dorm."
"Ah! The registration period is already over. How did she get in?"
"I heard she's excellent. During the magic test, her water affinity reached ninety-nine. She was admitted as an exception due to her talent."
"Wow, that's amazing! Such high affinity! I only have ninety."
Just as they were talking, the dorm door opened.
Ke Lan carefully carried her belongings inside, afraid of making too much noise and disturbing her roommates' rest.
"Hello, I hope I didn't disturb your rest."
Seeing her three roommates were all there, she smiled and greeted them proactively.
Her father had told her that communication between people was simple. Face them with a smile, communicate amicably, and there would be no problem that couldn't be solved.
The three girls looked at Ke Lan curiously. Both sides were sizing each other up, communicating with their eyes. Although they didn't speak, the meaning in their eyes seemed to be…
"Is she the exceptionally admitted genius student?"
"She dresses so plainly. I thought she was a noble's daughter. It seems I guessed wrong."
"Be enthusiastic. New roommate, we should be proactive."
Suddenly, as if they had reached a consensus, they stood up with smiles on their faces.
"It's okay, we were waiting for you. You're the genius with almost perfect water affinity, right? We heard about you in the academy. The Dean personally welcomed you!"
"Let's help you with your luggage."
Everyone was very friendly.
Ke Lan breathed a sigh of relief. When she arrived, she had worried about whether they would dislike her and ostracize her. Now it seemed she had overthought it; everyone was friendly towards her. Unless you encountered someone arrogant and domineering, who looked down on everyone, most strangers would be friendly upon meeting. This was basic etiquette.
The three girls enthusiastically helped Ke Lan carry her luggage, bringing it to her room, making her bed, and so on.
After they finished, everyone sat around the table.
"Let's introduce ourselves. My name is Tiyaluca Diano, call me Tiya. I'm the second daughter of the Duke of the Diano family."
Tiya was beautiful, with long red hair. She looked like she might have a fiery temper, but she was actually very gentle. It was just that a certain part of her body was a bit…overdeveloped, slightly flamboyant. She was a quite good mage.
But honestly, was there anything wrong with certain parts being a bit flamboyant? No, there wasn't. That was just…dominant.
"My name is Olivia Norla, the eldest daughter of the Norla family. I came here from the Locke Empire to study."
Olivia had short hair and a heroic appearance. She wore silver-white female armor and a delicate, obviously extraordinary, ladies' silver longsword hung at her waist.
The last one was an elf.
"My name is Sylf. I'm from the Elf race. My mother is the current queen. I also have two brothers who stayed in our homeland. I'm skilled with a bow and arrow. I'm a wind archer…"
Olivia facepalmed. "No one asked you to introduce your family. You're doing it again."
"Sorry, I'm a little nervous," Sylf bowed and said loudly.
Ke Lan laughed, then covered her mouth, feeling it was impolite. She stood up and said, "My name is Lin Ke Lan. I'm from Bubble Village. My father is a villager who farmed to raise me. Please take care of me."
After she finished, she bowed in thanks. Hearing her roommates' introductions, she knew they were all from prominent families with high status. They were from two different worlds. Compared to them, her birth was humble.
But she had never felt inferior because of her status, nor had she ever felt ashamed of her father's identity. Instead, she felt that heaven had been good to her, letting her meet the best father in the world.
Clearly, they didn't show any disdain because of her status. They all looked at her with smiles.
"From now on, we are roommates. Let's work hard together," Tiya said.
Her enthusiastic and lively personality, compared to Olivia's aloofness, was more suitable for being the glue of the group. As for Sylf, the elf, she seemed very shy.
Ke Lan nodded, thinking, Father, you can rest assured. I've made three very friendly friends here. I will definitely study hard here, make you proud of me, and give you the best life.
At this time, Lin Fan, who had left the city early, drove the carriage, resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
He wondered if Ke Lan was used to it there, whether she would be bullied, and whether she could take care of herself. These were all his worries. After all, Ke Lan had never left his side. Just like Old Zhang, she had always stayed with him. If she suddenly left and had to live independently, he would definitely be worried.
Lost in thought, Lin Fan clenched his fists and muttered fiercely, "Whoever dares to bully my daughter, I'll beat them up!"
But sometimes, he hoped Ke Lan could grow up and be able to take care of herself. Then, even after defeating the God of Darkness, he could leave with peace of mind.
Who was this God of Darkness, and where was he?
He had waited for a long time, but there were no clues about the God of Darkness. It really gave him a headache.
Thinking of Pope Bok, he considered visiting him for a chat, to catch up. After all, among the people outside, Pope Bok and the Abyss Lord Archimonde were among the few he had talked to.
Before, because he had to take care of his daughter, he rarely went out. Now, he was alone. It didn't matter how many days he stayed out.