Having a powerful lord as a father figure, what's wrong with just wanting to draw cards?

On the middle finger of the same hand, Shia was still wearing the Dark Moon Ring he had given her, just like he was wearing the 'Eternal Guardian' that Shia had given him.

They both kept their initial agreement.

As dawn approached, Domi, the 'off-campus personnel' who had only received temporary approval, had to leave before a specific deadline.

He carried Shia into the bed, carefully covered her with the blanket, and finally leaned down, brushed aside a few strands of hair, and gently kissed Shia's fair forehead.

"Goodnight, my princess."

Because she stayed up so late, Xia didn't wake up until almost noon.

Her hair was messy, and a few strands were stuck to the corners of her mouth with drool, making her look both disheveled and cute.

She looked around but couldn't see Domi anywhere, and a hint of disappointment crept into her eyes.

However, when she saw the crystal bracelet on her wrist, her earlier disappointment vanished instantly, leaving only a heart full of happiness.

Looking at the closed window again, the winter sun shines brightly outside, casting golden light on the solid wood floor, and occasionally birds sing melodious songs in the branches.

She felt that her life wasn't such a complete failure.

At this very moment, in the northern part of the academy, in a distinctive area known as the workshop district, lies one of the many workshops.

Domi was inside drinking with a disheveled but artistic adult man.

His name was Leonardo da Vinci, a genius magician living in the workshop district, a professional who specialized in tinkering with magical items.

"Judging from your expression, the plan seems to be going quite smoothly."

In fact, Domi's happiness was practically written all over her face; even her speech was incredibly light and cheerful.

"Yeah~"

"Tsk tsk tsk... Such a young age, doing something so romantic, are they crazy?"

"Mind your own business. What happened to my Darkmoon Slime Amulet?"

Leonardo da Vinci stood up and took two design drawings from his drawer to show Domi:

"There are currently two enhancement options: one that allows for a larger total amount of gel to be used, and another that increases density..."

Chapter 167-166 Entrance Examination

Imperial Academy is not its full name, but rather the abbreviation that most people use for convenience.

In fact, its full name is—'Kalia and Lionheart Empire Joint Academy'

Located in the magical city of Kalia, an inland city in the east-central part of the empire.

According to "A Brief History of Empires":

The magical city of Kalia was not initially directly under the Empire. It was located in the northeastern region of the main continent, sandwiched between the Northern Territory and the Lionheart Empire, among many small countries, and served as a neutral country that did not seek to compete with the world.

As the empire's territory expanded and incorporated the Middle Eastern region, this identity gradually became blurred.

Despite the city's circumstances, the prestigious college, located in the heart of the city and steeped in history, has always maintained a neutral stance, embracing diversity.

The college, almost the size of a small city, has clearly defined zones.

The academy is located in the heart of the city, where the Mage Tower stands, and all the academy's teaching buildings are situated around the Mage Tower.

Besides teaching buildings, public buildings such as various arenas, libraries, and canteens are also located in this central area.

To the east are student dormitories and various facilities for student use.

Dormitories, convenience stores, public bathhouses, gyms, stables, changing rooms...

To the south lies a bustling commercial district.

Domi's Rockefeller Center, Shangri-La, and Luggage Tavern all have branches here, as well as profit-making shops such as the Caria Bank, racetrack, casino, free trade market, and underground black market.

The western tourist area mostly encompasses historical man-made buildings or beautiful natural landscapes, with a very low level of development. Some places even retain their original state, and the magnificent churches of the Papacy are also located here.

To the north is the workshop area, which can meet all the requirements for forging, inlaying, upgrading and construction, as long as there are enough materials and funds... Trainee mechanics and architects from the academy usually conduct their 'industry internships' here.

Beyond these areas lie various production factories, numerous residential areas, and workplaces; almost the entire city serves the college.

The children of these residents also receive some benefits, such as a lower threshold for school enrollment, in order to attract more residents.

Domi is currently located in a small workshop in the workshop area.

Although the owner of this workshop is a genius, he has a rather eccentric personality and is not very popular. Moreover, he devotes all his energy to creating props, so naturally he doesn't earn much money.

But Domi didn't care about any of that; all he needed was a skilled craftsman who could help him upgrade his Slime Gel Amulet.

Then he followed the name 'genius' and found this Mr. Leonardo da Vinci.

So, which do you choose: total quantity or density?

"To increase the total amount, a large amount of Dark Moon Slime Gel is needed, while increasing the density requires some extraordinary materials. Although they are expensive, they are just pocket change for the young master of Bloomfield."

Domi chose him because she didn't care about her noble status at all.

In his current fighting style, slime gel is usually applied to his entire arm, from his fingertips to his shoulder, like a mechanical prosthetic limb in a cyberpunk world.

Normally, I just shape it into a trench coat or other clothes to wear, so I don't really need any more gel; any more would be a waste.

"Density, to what extent can it be enhanced?"

Leonardo da Vinci tapped his own tousled and messy hair with a pencil, glanced at the drawing, and his eyes, as if they were rulers, immediately drew conclusions that were infinitely close to the final product:

"Increased density means that the gel per unit volume is heavier and the internal space is smaller, so there is less space for magic particles to pass through. If used as a shield, it can better block magic attacks."

Clearly, Leonardo da Vinci didn't realize that he could withstand magic with his own body, so there was no need to go astray. Making it into a gauntlet and swinging it at people was the right thing to do.

"Okay, let's go with this plan."

"Quality is the priority, right? I'll start working right after lunch."

When will it be ready?

Spring will arrive after the Divine Blessing Day, and the new school season will begin in a few days. At that time, the amulet will not be upgraded yet, which will affect his ability to show off.

Da Vinci glanced at him, seemingly aware of his little scheme, and said, "Don't worry, it'll definitely be finished before your school starts."

"Good good!"

The Darkmoon Slime Amulet is very small, just a blue-black teardrop-shaped pendant, so the workload of upgrading it is not large. The difference between magic users lies in how to achieve better results under the same conditions.

After handing the amulet to Leonardo da Vinci, Domi left the workshop. He planned to spend the next few days wandering around the city of Caria, exploring the shadows of war and the map to facilitate his future activities within the academy.

Meanwhile, a boy from afar emerged from the forest, his hair still adorned with twigs, looking rather disheveled.

He was carrying a travel bag that was a head taller than him, with various props hanging on both sides of the bag, and his shoes were worn out and covered in mud.

It's hard to imagine that he walked all the way to Kalia, but he did it on his own two legs.

He stood on the hillside, proudly raising his head. Sunlight shone on his fluffy, pinkish-red hair, and his bright eyes were filled with longing for the future.

Before us lies the bustling magical city of Kalia! Looking down from above, one can see wind mages occasionally flitting about on broomsticks near the towering, exquisite buildings.

This was far too overwhelming for a country boy who was visiting the city for the first time.

However, Ignac was not intimidated. He put one hand on his hip, pointed to the sky, and shouted in a childish manner:

"I'm going to become the most powerful magician here! Kalia, here I come!"

The sound was so loud that several flocks of startled birds emerged from the forest behind them.

He turned around, clasped his hands apologetically to them, then jumped down the hillside and strode quickly toward the bustling city.

Soon, he arrived at the foot of the towering city wall and looked up at it.

"Hey kid, are you coming in or not?"

So much so that he only realized he had to enter the city when the soldiers checking him at the city gate called out to him.

There was nothing to question about a poor country boy, so they let him pass immediately.

Passing through the city wall, a square comes into view, where the crowds entering the city disperse.

Stepping on the clean paving stones, he arrived at the road sign in the center of the square.

This tall wooden stake is covered with road signs pointing in all directions.

"Magic Academy...Magic Academy..."

Are you going to magic academy too?

Just as Natsu was searching for the location of the academy among a bunch of road signs, a girl's voice rang out beside him, as clear and melodious as a mountain stream, a voice that could make one feel good just by listening to it.

That's true for Nats.

He turned his head and saw a delicate girl with long, flowing golden hair, fair skin, and large, bright eyes that seemed to speak.

Although she was only wearing a simple printed long dress, Rockefeller ankle boots and white lace socks, it couldn't hide the noble air she exuded from within.

"classmate?"

The girl waved her hand in front of his eyes.

Natsu instantly snapped out of his daze, thinking he'd found a fellow traveler: "Yeah, you are too?"

The girl withdrew her hand behind her back and smiled politely at Nats:

"Yes, is this your first time here? I know the way, let's go together."

Nats thanked her as if he had found a lifeline, saying, "Thank you! You're such a kind person."

On the way, they finally learned each other's names. The girl's name was Nancy, and they knew nothing else about her.

Nats thought this might be what his mother had told him: that strangers should respect each other's privacy. So he didn't ask Nancy anything else, and the two of them walked together to the school gate without incident.

It was springtime, and the first day of the three-day school term at the magic academy was packed with people and carriages outside the spacious school gate on the east side.

Parents watched their children walk into the school to take the highly difficult entrance exam.

Even though local children can enjoy the benefits of lower thresholds, the threshold is still very high, and you really can't get in without some outstanding skills.

As a comprehensive university that embraces diverse talents, students can choose to take the entrance exam in their area of ​​expertise.

For example, those who are good at magic should go to the magician examination hall, those who develop martial arts should go to the knight examination hall, those who are good at handling magical artifacts should go to the magic artifact master examination hall, and those who are good at mechanics and construction, or art and music, can go to the comprehensive examination hall.

The college adheres to the concept that it welcomes all talents, embraces diversity, and is open to all.