Belka had barely left when she rode Swift to the Integrated Tower.

*Thump-thump-thump~*

"Come in."

Only after hearing the permission did Belka gently push the door open.

"The test is over. How did he do?" Maria Bella asked before Belka could speak.

"I’m not sure how he performed, but it seemed... fine," Belka replied, closing the door behind her as she approached Maria Bella. "I also have another matter to report."

"Go ahead." Maria Bella rested her chin on interlaced fingers, elbows propped on the desk.

Belka recounted every detail of the test. Though Maria Bella’s smile remained, its warmth had noticeably cooled.

"Understood. You may leave," Maria Bella said after hearing the report.

"Hold on—take this." As Belka turned to go, Maria Bella handed her a green card. "Give it to that Huanyu boy. It’s for claiming low-grade materials free of charge."

Belka tucked the card into her pocket. "I’ll head out then."

After Belka left, she still needed to fetch clothes from Huanyu’s dorm.

By the time Belka soared toward Huanyu’s dorm on Swift, Maria Bella had lifted a nearby magic-engineered telephone—a device powered by mana flowing through wires, not electricity—and begun speaking urgently into it.

Belka arrived at Huanyu’s dorm, grabbing the black T-shirt and jeans he’d first tried on during his clothing selection. For some reason, a strange smile flickered across her face as she held them.

Back at her own dorm, the sharp scent of burnt fabric hit her. She rushed inside, slipped off her shoes at the entrance, and found Lily sitting stiffly on the sofa, head turned away. Only when Belka entered did Lily whirl around, dash over, and point accusingly at the floor. "Sis Belka! He—he—he actually showered in *your* bathroom!"

Following Lily’s finger, Belka saw a soot-covered figure sprawled on the floor, wrapped only in a charred towel. It was unmistakably Huanyu.

Huanyu desperately wished to forget the tragedy that had just unfolded.

When a woman’s voice called outside—"Sis, are you home?"—he’d felt a frantic urge to flee. But the caller had already reached the door, asking, "Sis Belka, are you showering?"

Huanyu couldn’t answer. Speaking would expose him. And judging by the voice, it was Lily—the one person who despised him most. If he made a sound, it’d be the end. Before he could decide what to do, the door swung open without warning. Huanyu froze, towel-clad and dumbstruck, as Lily stepped in.

Her smile turned rigid. After a stunned pause, she unleashed a barrage of fireballs at him. Huanyu didn’t dodge. When the last small fireball struck, an enormous one engulfed him in an explosion.

As the flames cleared, Huanyu lay blackened on the floor, spewing black smoke. Lily dragged him to the living room, planted herself on the sofa, and launched into a tirade, firing questions he couldn’t possibly answer.

Now, seeing Belka return, Huanyu gazed at her with tear-filled eyes, utterly speechless.

"Lily, I *let* him use my bathroom. Don’t blame him," Belka explained gently.

"Then why would Sis Belka let *him* shower in your room?" Lily shot back, glaring at Huanyu’s prone form.

Belka moved to help Huanyu up, but he staggered to his feet on his own and shuffled toward her.

"Don’t come near me, pervert!" Lily snapped.

"Sis Belka... the clothes?" Huanyu ignored her, eyes fixed on Belka.

She handed him the bundle. Huanyu took it and headed straight for the bathroom.

Lily made to chase after him, but Belka pulled her down onto the sofa and recounted the day’s test events.

After listening, Lily still couldn’t forgive Huanyu for showering in Belka’s dorm—even if she did feel slightly wary about the ‘Yayang’ instructors.

Remembering neither she nor Huanyu had eaten, Belka stood up. "I’ll make lunch. Wait here a moment, little Lily."

"Okay," Lily mumbled, watching Belka disappear into the kitchen.

Inside the bathroom, Huanyu marveled at the white marble walls—a stark contrast to the bare plaster of his freshman dorm. After showering, he slipped into the clothes Belka had brought. Habit made him shove his right hand into his pocket while clutching his now-spotless blue kung fu uniform in his left. He emerged to find Lily sprawled lazily on the larger sofa.

"*Whew*... So tired. So hungry. No energy left. Might as well nap."

"Hey."

"Huh? Me?"

"Who else is here?"

"Oh. What’s up?"

"I’m... sorry for attacking you out of nowhere."

"It’s fine. Water under the bridge."

"Heard you got unfair treatment today. Those teachers are awful."

"They had their reasons. No use dwelling on it."

"You—you’re just *lazy*!"

Huanyu closed his eyes without replying.

Watching his peaceful face—especially without that ugly kung fu uniform hiding his features—Lily felt her cheeks flush.

*—So handsome.*

She shook her head sharply.

*—What am I thinking?*

The aroma of food soon drifted from the kitchen. Huanyu, having skipped both breakfast and lunch, leapt up and followed his nose. He stared wide-eyed at the feast on the table, then at Belka stepping out in an apron over her uniform, her smile tender. Without thinking, he blurted, "Sis Belka’s so beautiful. You’d make the perfect wife and mother."

Startled by the compliment, Belka turned away, blushing. "*Hmph!* I cook for you, and you tease your sister?"

"N-no! I just—" Her words jolted him back to his senses.

"It’s alright. I know," Belka said softly, smiling at his flustered tone. *—Such a cute little brother.*

Huanyu wisely stayed quiet, taking a seat. Lily soon joined them, settling as far from Huanyu as possible.

Belka served the rice. The three began eating.

By the time they finished, it was nearly time for the test results to be posted.

"Little Yu, shall I go with you to check your scores?" Belka offered.

"Sure. I don’t know the way anyway. It’s far from here, right?"

"Sis Belka, I’ll come too," Lily chimed in. "My afternoon duties are done. The Disciplinary Committee can wait."

"*I’m* accompanying *Little Yu*, not you," Belka corrected gently.

"...Fine."

"*There* we go. We’ll all go together."

After clearing the table, they summoned Swift and Scarlet at the dorm entrance. Belka and Huanyu mounted Swift; Lily climbed onto Scarlet’s back.

The two dragons took off toward the ‘Yayang’ school in the Mechanical Campus. To match Scarlet’s slower pace, Swift held back, making the journey longer than usual.

When they landed on the ‘Yayang’ school grounds, Lily apologized for the delay. Huanyu and Belka waved it off, sparing her further guilt.

At the bulletin board, dozens of test-takers crowded around. Many had already seen their results, chatting excitedly with strangers.

Huanyu groaned. "Ugh, such a hassle. So many people. I’m not squeezing in there."

"Who exactly are we here for?" Lily snapped from the sidelines.

"Sis Belka," Huanyu answered without hesitation.

"*You—!*" Lily was speechless.

Just as Belka moved to push through the crowd, Huanyu stopped her. "Kidding! Sis Belka shouldn’t jostle with those guys. I’ll go."

He stepped forward—and the crowd instinctively parted around him. Glancing at his scores, assigned school, and class, he sighed ambiguously.

*—Guess I’m in.*

"Back already? What’s the verdict?" Belka asked when he returned.

"Barely scraped by. Made the cut."

"Lucky break," Lily muttered, her tone unreadable.

"Feels like everyone’s staring at us," Huanyu murmured, scanning the area. Boys’ eyes lingered on Belka and Lily; girls’ gazes were fixed on him.

"We’re probably just... too noticeable," Belka said with a wry smile.

Lily frowned, clearly impatient.

"Let’s go. We know the results. Just need to wait for uniforms now," Huanyu declared, already turning to leave.

The girls followed.

"Who was that guy? Didn’t see him at the test."

"No idea, but wow—he’s hot."

"Aren’t those the Student Council members? The elegant one’s President Belka Rohlin, and the other’s Secretary Lily Puls. Why are they with him?"

"He’s new. Seriously good-looking. A real heartbreaker. But why’ve I never heard of him?"

Their chatter faded as the trio departed.

Huanyu insisted on returning to the dorm—no more running around in the heat.

At the freshman dorm entrance, the administrator blinked in surprise watching one boy escort two girls upstairs.

"*Belka Rohlin* and *Lily Puls*... but who’s that boy? Never seen him before."

Inside Room 307, Huanyu flopped onto his bed and rolled like a rolling pin under the covers. Belka quietly switched on the ice-element magic-engineered fan for him before sitting on the edge of the bed. Lily, claiming unfamiliarity with Huanyu, perched stiffly on the desk chair.

"Little Yu, the Academy Head asked me to give you this," Belka said, producing the green card. "It’s for claiming your materials."

"Thanks, sis! But where do I use it?" Huanyu examined the card.

"If it’s like previous years," Belka replied, sidestepping his question, "tomorrow afternoon, all freshmen without dragons will head to Dragon Rearing Mountain. That’s where you’ll meet your lifelong partner."

“Yeah, I earned my Scarlet certification back in third grade. Didn’t expect anyone here still wouldn’t have a dragon,” Lily reminisced.

“Some probably just got enrolled recently, like little Yu here.”

“So… will I get my own dragon soon, just like you, sis?”

“Yes.”

“Well… probably. As long as your luck holds and you’re decent enough.”

“I see.”

After chatting a while longer, they ate dinner together before parting ways.

---

The next morning

Huan Yu remained blissfully asleep in bed, oblivious to the bright daylight flooding his dorm. It was the first day of school, yet he showed no signs of waking.

Belka stood at the door of Dorm 10, Room 307, spare key in hand. She slipped off her shoes at the entrance, padded across the wooden floor, and set her things on the desk.

Watching Huan Yu snuggle deeper under the covers, she yanked open the curtains. A mischievous grin spread across her face. She crept over, her fair hands pinching his rosy cheeks—*so soft*.

Huan Yu jolted awake, cheeks squeezed. “Could you be gentler next time?” he mumbled, wounded.

“Up. Now. Or you’ll be late,” Belka stated bluntly, ignoring his complaint.

Huan Yu sat up, half-asleep, reaching for his blue kung fu suit. Belka tossed him a uniform identical to hers. Realizing it was school attire, he changed without a second glance. Facing the mirror, he froze.

Staring back was someone wearing the Swordsmanship Campus’s “Sword Saint” girls’ uniform—*exactly* like Belka’s. The reflection looked striking: crisp blue short hair, tall frame, the slightly short hem lending a rebellious edge to his clean-cut beauty.

“Who… is that?” Huan Yu mumbled, still drowsy.

Belka bit back a laugh, watching him stare dumbly at his borrowed uniform in the mirror.

*—Teasing little Yu is way too fun.*

“Ahhh—!” Huan Yu shrieked, finally recognizing himself. “That’s me?!”

“Little Yu’s so pretty~ Should I call you ‘Yu-li’ instead?” Belka fanned the flames.

“Ugh… I can’t show my face ever again,” he wailed, burying himself under the blanket.

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry!” Belka panicked, patting the lump under the covers. “You’re really not coming out?”

“Nope!”

“What about your dragon?”

“…”

“Fine. Hand me the clothes, then come out.” After a pause, Huan Yu surrendered.

Belka tossed two sets of uniforms onto the bed.

“Don’t look, sis. I’m changing.”

“Got it.” She turned away.

*Rustle-rustle~*

When Belka turned back, she nearly blinked. The Mechanical Campus’s “Yayang” boys’ uniform—white fabric with black trim, crisp white trousers—transformed him. If his black outfit made him a devilish rogue, this white ensemble crowned him a king. But the regal aura vanished instantly as he slouched, right hand slipping into his pocket like a prince playing thug.

“Still suits you,” Belka warned. “Don’t charm too many underclassmen, or the juniors will despise you.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’re late,” Huan Yu urged.

Belka grabbed his collar—*surprisingly satisfying grip*—and dragged him out. Since today was just orientation, he’d left his toolbox behind.

She summoned Swift mid-stride, leaping onto the railing. With a fluid motion, she hauled Huan Yu onto the dragon’s back. Swift shot toward “Yayang,” Huan Yu sprawled on its spine. Spotting other flying dragons below, he frowned. “Sis, why are we only seeing dragons now?”

“Oh, real classes start today,” Belka explained. “During summer break, dragon owners near home went back. Look—earth dragons and swift dragons everywhere! Even the river connecting campuses has water dragons and jiaolong.”

Intrigued, Huan Yu leaned over Swift’s wing. Below, sturdy earth dragons lumbered, swift dragons raced, island-sized water dragons paddled, and serpentine jiaolong leaped. Around them, colorful flying dragons were swiftly overtaken.

Swift was the fastest on campus—a rare second-stage evolved Agile Azure Dragon.

Ten minutes later, they landed. This time, Huan Yu waited for Swift to descend before stepping off.

“Wait here after class. I’ll pick you up,” Belka called.

“Yes, ‘Big Sis’,” Huan Yu replied.

“‘Big Sis’~” Belka blushed, fleeing as nearby students stared curiously at Huan Yu.

Ignoring them, he searched for his classroom. “Yayang” had six classes (A-F). Level Seven students filled the larger C-F rooms; Level Eights occupied smaller A-B rooms. Occasionally, Level Nines joined Level Eight classes.

Huan Yu’s F-class—filled with borderline admits—was on the first floor of the theory building.

*—Ground floor’s great. No stairs.*

The classroom buzzed until he opened the door. As all eyes turned to him, the bell clanged—a metal box overhead rattling precisely on schedule.

*—Dragon Engineer craftsmanship. Must be timer-set.*

*—Punctual as hell.*

With most seats taken, Huan Yu slid into the last window seat beside a sunny blond boy chatting animatedly.

Moments later, a tall, sharp-dressed woman strode in. She slapped a folder onto the desk—*thwack!*—silencing the room. All eyes locked onto the new teacher.

Huan Yu barely glanced up before resting his head on the desk. *No classes today anyway. Theory lessons? Pointless. My 80% exam score was definitely downgraded. Full marks should’ve been easy.*

The blond boy leaned in, whispering excitedly, “Dude! Check out the teacher! If she’s our homeroom teacher, this year’s gonna be amazing!”

“…”

*—Ignore her. That woman screams trouble.*

Undeterred, the boy kept whispering as the teacher wrote on the board: *Minette Delsay*. “Good morning,” she announced, voice crisp. “I’m your new homeroom teacher. I’ll guide you through the next three years.”

“Three *wonderful* years!” the blond echoed dreamily.

Minette’s gaze swept the room—landing on the radiant blond and the blue-haired boy already dozing. “You. The one sleeping. Sit up.”

The class watched as Huan Yu stirred slowly. He leaned back, eyelids heavy, revealing unnaturally violet pupils. Several girls flushed.

*—So handsome…*

Huan Yu studied Minette properly now: stunning, with pale blue eyes and silver hair tied in a high ponytail. Shorter strands framed her face, clashing with her strict aura. Instead, she radiated wild charm—black trench coat open over a tight shirt, leather shorts, knee-high boots, coffee-toned skin gleaming.

“Do you have a problem with me?” Minette challenged. The entire class held its breath.

“No issue with *you*,” Huan Yu yawned. “Just this school.”

*—This kid’s insane. He actually said it.*

“Since it’s not me you dislike,” Minette countered smoothly, “show respect by listening to my rules.” Murmurs rippled through the room.

“Fine. Make it quick. I’m starving,” Huan Yu said, slapping his cheeks awake.

“Then let’s cover school rules and this afternoon’s trip to Dragon Rearing Mountain,” Minette continued, addressing the class.

Attention shifted back to her.

“I’m Leilo Henry. Nice to meet you!” the blond whispered urgently. “What’s your name?”

“Huan Yu. Don’t bother ‘meeting’ me. Annoying,” he yawned again.

Leilo sweat-dropped. *This guy’s brutally honest.*

Minette finished her speech just as the bell stayed silent. “Time for introductions. Start from you,” she ordered, pointing at Huan Yu.

“Me?” He stood as thirty pairs of eyes fixed on him—girls especially attentive.

“Huan Yu.” He sat down.

Silence. Minette blinked, then moved on. “Next. You.”

“I’m Hill Daro. My hobby is…”

“…”

After the last introduction, the bell finally rang. As Minette prepared to dismiss them, students froze mid-movement—someone had already walked out.

Leilo glanced at the empty seat beside him, his eyes brimming with deep admiration.

Seconds later, the entire hall erupted in chatter.

“That guy’s way too arrogant—leaving before the teacher even dismissed class.”

“But he looked so cool doing it.”

“Totally awesome.”

“…”

While many girls were still buzzing about Illusionary Feather, he’d already reached the playground. He ignored the stares from passersby, not bothering to care.

Soon, Belka arrived. Swift landed on the field, drawing glances from students who hadn’t left yet. Many who’d grown up at the academy recognized her—the ace of Swordsmanship Campus, one of only ten Level Nine students, and president of the StudentCouncil. Belka Rohlin usually kept her distance, rarely treating anyone as an equal unless they were among the academy’s top ten or fellow StudentCouncil members.

Yet here she was, picking up a student who seemed newly enrolled. It was utterly unbelievable.

Right before everyone’s eyes, the two mounted the same dragon and flew off.

Unbeknownst to Illusionary Feather, he’d just become famous.

“Little Feather, heading down for lunch?” Belka sat gracefully atop Swift, asking the boy lying with closed eyes on the dragon’s back.

“Yeah, I haven’t had breakfast yet,” Illusionary Feather confirmed.

“Silly. Who told you to wake up so late?” Belka reached out to ruffle his hair but stopped short, her voice softening.

“Oh, Sister Belka,” Illusionary Feather suddenly opened his eyes. “The teacher said we’re going to Dragon Rearing Mountain this afternoon. Students can ride with dragon-owning friends. Are you free?”

“I recall the trip to Dragon Rearing Mountain lasts up to three days. Fail to bond with a dragon within that time, and you wait another year.” Belka paused, a mischievous grin spreading. “StudentCouncil duties are piling up, but if Little Feather promises me one thing, I’ll still take you.”

—There’s definitely a scheme here.

“Fine. As long as it’s not too hard, I’ll agree.” Illusionary Feather suspected it wouldn’t be simple, but his easygoing nature prioritized solving immediate problems. Riding the academy’s shuttle with other students sounded like a huge hassle, so relying on Belka was better.

They had lunch together. The afternoon assembly was set for 14:00.

Promptly on time, they arrived at the meeting point—the Yayang practical training ground. A shuttle crafted from lightweight yet sturdy sky-iron wood stood ready, large enough for dozens. With only two to three hundred students total, the crowd was small: mostly newcomers or those who’d missed last year’s trip.

Inside, the shuttle blended a Dragon Engineer’s mechanisms, a Mechanic Engineer’s gears, and a Magic Engineer’s power core—all assembled by an Inventor.

Students clustered by class around the vessel. Illusionary Feather found his group, with Belka standing beside him. They stood out prominently, but excitement over Dragon Rearing Mountain kept murmurs at bay.

Teachers quickly gathered the students. Those without dragons had already signed up during the briefing. Once everyone arrived, departure was imminent.

After final checks, students without dragon-riding friends boarded the shuttle. Those with companions waited for it to launch before summoning their own dragons.

As most students filed aboard, only one person remained near Illusionary Feather—a blond boy with a friend whose personality seemed his complete opposite.

“Hey, classmate Illusionary Feather, and senior Belka! Didn’t expect to see you two together,” Leilo exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

Belka recognized Leilo’s friend and replied elegantly, “I never knew you two were friends. Your personalities are polar opposites.” She radiated poised grace.

But with the shuttle already ascending, conversation halted. Each summoned their dragon and took off, trailing the vessel.

Illusionary Feather settled onto Swift’s back. He watched Leilo and his black-haired, dark-eyed friend mount a metallic-black iron dragon—still unevolved but nearing its final stage.

As the formation advanced, the sky stretched wide. Their destination was a transfer point southwest of here, the gateway to Dragon Rearing Mountain.

Hundreds of similar groups from the academy were en route, each heading to different transfer points based on campus—but all bound for the same place.

—Dragon Rearing Mountain, huh? Having a dragon means skipping the hassle. So nice.

Unable to resist, Illusionary Feather rolled around on Swift’s back like a rolling pin.