Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

Approaching four-thirty in the afternoon, the sun after midday had already tipped down from the sky. Through the towering floor-to-ceiling window, it slanted across one side of the classroom. The color of the light turned deeper, tinged with a golden hue of orange-red, giving the classroom a touch of softness.

The glow shimmered tenderly on the desktop, the empty chairs, and the stairs, as if it was quietly telling stories about time.

In the back row of the classroom, only Hyperion and Lanci sat behind the somewhat barren, wooden desks.

Hyperion didn't know why Lanci was looking at her.

However, after pondering a bit, she matched Lanci's gaze, staring into his pretty, jade-green pupils, and advised:

"Lanci, you shouldn't meddle in my affairs in the future. You have no need to get involved…"

Yet, Lanci showed no signs of being offended after hearing this. He just blinked, his eyes still calm and steady.

"I won't stand by while a friend is bullied. Also, didn't you stand up for me when Modan called me a 'shoddy lawyer'?"

Lanci smiled. He always replied to goodwill with goodwill.

"In any case, if you need help with a legal matter, you can find me at Room 101, Sage Academy Dormitory. Once I pass the bar, I can hang a sign beside my dormitory door that reads [Lanci's Law Office]."

"..."

Hyperion, once again, found herself unable to respond.

...

Lanci's words were inadvertently overheard by other students.

Although none of them interrupted Lanci, who looked too exhausted to handle a stranger, plenty of them have their ears perked up to catch what Lanci and Hyperion would say next.

The school rules of Ichrite were actually quite humanitarian.

Students with unique abilities, such as blacksmiths, sculptors, painters, chefs, chemists, Cardmakers, etc., would often make their dormitories as popular as a shop, frequently visited by students from different grades and colleges.

The school tacitly approved this diversified campus life and socialization.

But a law office...

It seemed unheard of before.

Who the hell would seek a lawyer in school?

This was a magic academy, not a law school!

…...

The leaves of the trees on campus swayed gently in the breeze, and their shadows danced on the classroom floor, like a silent ballet.

Some students were moving back and forth on the campus path, their distant laughter and conversations occasionally wafting into the classroom, making time seem both illusory and incredibly real.

In the end…

After much turmoil, Hyperion ultimately accepted Lanci's sincere kindness with a nod.

"If I can find my father, I will certainly invite you with the utmost courtesy to become an advisor to the Duke Alansar family."

The look on Hyperion's face was one of solemn promise.

Even though it might appear to be an empty promise, it reflected Hyperion's attitude—

She acknowledged Lanci as a friend, and he was also a friend of the Alansar family.

The Alansar family always repays its debts!

"An advisor to a Duke's family? If I really become one, that would indeed be a prestigious position. If my old man found out I was doing so well in the Royal Capital, he would probably be so surprised…"

Upon hearing this, Lanci chuckled. He didn't care whether the promise could be fulfilled, but he appreciated his new friend.

"Hyperion, although you always seem cold and ruthless, deep down, you are surprisingly kind."

"What do you mean?"

Hyperion didn't understand why Lanci would say that.

"You've constantly been focused not on inheriting the family, but on finding your father."

Lanci explained with a smile.

"..."

After hearing Lanci's words, Hyperion's eyes gradually drooped, seemingly sinking into an inextricable melancholy. She remained silent for a long time, not knowing what to say next.

It took her a while to process this.

"...My father, he's going to be okay."

Hyperion's facial expression remained unchanged, but her emotions had clearly become complex.

She risked her life to investigate a few possible clues related to her father's disappearance, only to vaguely lead to the south, to the Cerryti Empire.

She was too weak now.

Not only she was solitary and powerless.

She also couldn't identify who in the royal capital was friend or foe or insider.

Going alone to the Cerryti Empire to investigate would be a suicide mission.

She must become stronger quickly, perhaps there was still hope for her father, but she needed to find him as soon as possible...

But it was these feelings that Hyperion would never tell Lanci.

Somehow, she couldn't afford to let Lanci get involved any deeper.

"What do you think about challenging the Shadow World? We team up and give the world of shadows a small shock."

Lanci saw Hyperion fall into silence, didn't speak for a long time, and finally, he asked tentatively.

Among the people he knows now, Hyperion was undoubtedly the most cooperative teammate.

They not only worked together before, but she also proved to be very reliable in battles.

This was exactly why they were able to team up and clear the super-doubled version of [Infinite Illusion Valley] last time.

Hyperion's fingers stiffened on the page of the book, her eyes vacant as she stared at Lanci. Her mouth slightly opened as if she wanted to say something or breathe in fresh air.

"... Are you...willing to fight with me?"

Finally, she managed to clear some thoughts and asked in a dazed manner, still attempting to comprehend Lanci's sudden invitation, an invitation that felt so unreal.

"Of course."

Lanci stated firmly and confidently.

Hyperion cast her eyes down, staring at the table. She bit her lip, seemingly struggling.

The reason Lanci was friendly to her was that he was unaware of her half-Demon Race heritage.

She didn't know how to break the news to Lanci.

Even if their friendship now was like a bubble flirting with illusions, ready to pop and vanish at any moment, she didn't know how to be the one to burst it.

"You can back out at any time."

Hyperion lowered her gaze, speaking barely above a whisper.

Essentially she was agreeing with Lanci's invite to team up.

But she was also okay if Lanci was to back out all of a sudden.

"I knew you'd agree! How about we take advantage of the Magic Engineering College before it closes and directly challenge the Shadow World? I really can't stand this class. Who the hell added 'No Chanting Casting' to this year's compulsory classes? I just can't get it!"

Whenever Lanci thought of the morning classes, he couldn't help but feel a headache and grumbled about it.

He didn't think that the courses of Sage Academy would be this tough, or perhaps his aptitude in magic skills was just too poor.

Especially this 'No Chanting Casting' class, it was really torturing him. It didn't appear in the curriculum of prior years, but this year it was added as a compulsory class!

"Today?"

Hyperion murmured in surprise.

She hadn't expected Lanci's action to be so forceful.

It was even more surreal than a spontaneous trip and made her heart pound in her chest!

For a moment, she didn't know how to respond or what expression to show.

"Yes, right now."

Lanci stretched out, as if loosening his muscles.

"Are you coming with me?"

As he leaned back in his chair and looked at Hyperion again, he displayed a smile full of absolute confidence on his face.