I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

As it turns out, the claim that "the food in the inner courtyard cafeteria will be completely sold out" is a lie, just like the claim that "my cat can do backflips."

There was neither the bustling crowd at the entrance of the cafeteria like in my previous life after school, nor a physical education teacher standing by scouting for track and field talents.

Ji Tian shrugged and said, "Look, I already used my divine sense to investigate, there aren't many people at all."

Elena had already dragged Ji Tian to the door, slowed down, and said defiantly, without batting an eye, "That's because we arrived too early."

Ji Tian glanced at the setting sun outside the window, then turned his head to look at her again, without saying anything.

What bad intentions could she possibly have?

The dining hall was huge, three times the size of the outer courtyard's dining hall, with magic crystal lamps embedded in the dome, illuminating the entire space brightly.

The dining tables meander along the wall, laden with a variety of dishes, from roast beef to cream soup, from vegetable salads to honey cakes.

The air was filled with a mixture of aromas, which whetted people's appetites.

Elena released his hand, her voice still a little breathless, "What do you want to eat? I'll get it."

"Anything is fine."

"Whatever." Elena glared at him irritably, snorted, and turned to walk towards the dining table.

A moment later, she returned with two trays, one containing grilled fish, vegetables, and rice, and the other containing grilled steak, roasted potatoes, and two bowls of cream of mushroom soup.

She pushed the plate of grilled fish in front of Ji Tian, ​​"You didn't like eating fish when you were at the manor, but I've noticed you've started eating it later. This is a specialty of the inner courtyard, the Ice Lake Trout, which has very few bones. Try it."

Ji Tian looked down at the golden-brown, crispy fish on the plate, then at Elena's expectant eyes, picked up his fork, and put a piece in his mouth.

"tasty."

"How does it compare to the dish I made for you last time?"

"They're all delicious, but yours is too salty."

"You idiot!"

Elena angrily picked up her fork, cut off a small piece of steak, chewed it with gritted teeth, and her anger subsided after she finished eating.

The two ate quietly for a while, with only the soft clinking of knives and forks against the porcelain plates on the table.

Ji Tian was drinking cream of mushroom soup when Elena held a napkin between her fingers, lightly wiped his mouth, and then quickly withdrew it.

"It got some soup on it," she explained softly, looking down and poking at the potatoes on her plate with her fork.

Ji Tian hummed in agreement, picked up the soup bowl, finished the rest, and stood up. "I'll get another bowl. What do you want?"

"I...I can do it myself." Elena also tried to get up, but Ji Tian pressed her shoulder down.

"Sit down."

He turned and walked towards the dining table. Elena watched his retreating figure, a smile appearing in her eyes.

When Ji Tian returned with the freshly served soup bowl, his gaze swept across the other side of the cafeteria.

There were twenty or thirty people gathered there, forming a semicircle, surrounding a young man in a dark blue inner robe in the center.

The man was in his early twenties, with a fair complexion and features that were not particularly outstanding, but his eyes and brows carried an innate air of nobility.

He held a wine glass in his hand, the amber liquid inside shimmering slightly under the crystal chandelier, and a perfectly timed smile played on his lips.

Ji Tian's divine sense had already covered the entire cafeteria, and he could subconsciously hear their voices.

Elena had somehow joined in and whispered:

"That's Albert Augustus, the son of the Prime Minister's second wife. He's the second oldest of his brothers. His father recently purged a group of former prime ministers' cronies and urgently needs new people to fill the vacancies. He came to the academy to 'select talent,' which, to put it bluntly, is to find the future team for his father."

Ji Tian nodded, his divine sense already capturing the scattered fragments of the group's conversation.

"Lord Albert, what do you think of my proposal...?"

"No rush, take your time."

"Sir, my father said that we owe him a great debt of gratitude for what happened last time..."

"It's just my job, nothing to mention."

A boy in an outer academy uniform squeezed to the front, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "Lord Albert, I'm so eager to improve! Please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you need me to do!"

"Look at you, so impatient. As long as you follow me and my father, the Prime Minister, and serve the Kingdom loyally, what's there to fear about the Kingdom treating you unfairly?"

A few people around him laughed in agreement.

The boy scratched his head, took a half step back awkwardly, but the eagerness in his eyes remained undiminished.

Another person approached: "Sir, I heard that several new positions have been created in the North..."

Albert finally put down his glass, raised his eyes, and swept his gaze across the expectant and nervous faces. His tone was unhurried: "My father employs people based solely on talent. If any of you are truly talented, you will have no trouble finding a way. But—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. "The prerequisite is that you first demonstrate abilities that people can trust."

As he said this, his gaze happened to sweep over Ji Tian and Elena, paused for a moment, and then casually looked away.

Nothing happened during that time.

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the cafeteria. The night breeze, carrying the fragrance of roses, swept over them, leaving the noise of the cafeteria far behind.

Elena walked beside him and suddenly asked, "Do you think that Albert... really came to scout materials, or was he just here to show off?"

Ji Tian thought for a moment: "Both are necessary. He needs people, and those people need him. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Elena nodded, seemingly understanding.

The two walked side by side through the garden, heading towards the dormitory.

……

The Royal Capital Magic Academy is a semi-closed institution, with a weekly break during which students are allowed to leave the school. Students who leave the school without permission at other times will be given a demerit.

However, there are not so many restrictions for graduating students, since they have to handle many things at the same time.

Albert was the latter; it was late at night when he returned to the Prime Minister's residence.

The magic chandelier in the study was still on, and Augustus sat behind his desk with a report on the production capacity of the Northern Factory spread out in front of him.

He heard footsteps but didn't look up.

"You're back?"

"Father." Albert sat down in the chair opposite the desk, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp.

Augustus put down his pen, shifting his gaze from the report to his second son's face. "What did you find at the academy?"

Albert placed the teacup back on the tray. "Several commoners from the outer court are quite talented and ambitious. The noble children from the inner court are more interested in gaining prestige; there aren't many who are truly useful."

Augustus grunted in response, offering no further comment.

After a moment of silence, Albert seemed to suddenly remember something, and his tone became much more casual: "By the way, Father, do you remember the daughter of the Viscount Pompeii from six years ago?"

Augustus raised his eyes. "Irene von Pompeii? What?"

"I saw her in the cafeteria today. She was with a young man wearing the foreign language department's uniform, but he didn't act like an ordinary student. The two of them were eating together and seemed very close."

"I had someone inquire about him. The young man's name is Ji Tian. He's a freshman in this year's Foreign Languages ​​Department. He's supposedly from the Eastern Territory and doesn't have any special background. But judging from their appearance, they don't seem like ordinary friends."

Augustus tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table. The Viscount Pompeii family was an old noble family, not the most prestigious, but his only daughter was exceptionally talented and was a target for various parties to win over.

It's a bit of a pity that it was snatched away by an unknown commoner.

Albert chuckled. "That girl certainly has a unique eye."

Augustus glanced at him and said indifferently, "Let the young people do what they want. Your focus now is to straighten out the academy for me."

Albert nodded and said no more.