The Forging, Potioneer, and Mechanical Departments required frequent experiments and material consumption. Thus, students in these majors received monthly material quotas and dedicated lab funds—unused portions rolled over.

Ouyang Tao requested 20 kilograms of crude Magic Stones and 200 kilograms of universal alloy. After lunch at the cafeteria, he collected the shipment from the warehouse. Staff delivered it straight to his dorm.

Of course, hauling everything from the dorm entrance to his lab fell solely on him. Those crates nearly broke his back.

The only thing bugging Ouyang Tao? His four bodyguards refused to lift a finger. *"Our duty is protection only,"* they’d said. *Seriously, what’s the point of you guys...*

Dorms were private spaces. The twelve Imperial Guards rotated in two shifts, patrolling only the perimeter.

When Ouyang Tao carried the first batch upstairs, he froze. Both his lab and bedroom doors stood wide open. Drawers hung ajar. Things had been searched.

*Obviously,* someone had ransacked his room while he and his sister were being questioned at Security.

*Whatever. Still... it pissed him off.*

Work came first. After dragging everything inside, he locked the doors and got to processing materials.

Mechanical Mages could rapidly construct machines—but initial builds required handcrafting and testing critical components before mana replication.

First step: extract essential elements, forge rough parts, and refine Magic Stones. The first two were Ouyang Tao’s specialties. Refining stones? His first time.

Magic Stones were volatile minerals. Higher purity meant greater power—but far harder to control. Skilled Mechanical Mages achieved over 90% purity. The process wasn’t complex, but Ouyang Tao played it safe, stopping at 80%. *Just an experiment anyway.*

Goggles on, he manually polished each roughly shaped part on the lathe. Dozens of components. Even with his skilled hands—every piece perfect on the first try—it took four solid hours.

Assembly was easiest. Having memorized the blueprint, Ouyang Tao snapped together his first standardized weapon in minutes.

*"Heh. Done."* Hefting the 10-kilo beast, he grinned.

Only one thing left: testing its power.

No delay. He packed the weapon, slung the case over his shoulder, and headed out—four guards trailing behind.

Augustus College’s weapon testing grounds stayed open until 10 PM. But Ouyang Tao’s pulse raced. Dinner could wait. Cradling the case labeled "Swift Lightning," he sprinted toward the nearest range.

The sun dipped low, painting the campus crimson. *Beautiful,* some might say. Ouyang Tao didn’t slow his pace.

But someone else did.

*"Mmm, so for high-tier mages, elemental weaknesses don’t really exist?"*

*"Exactly. Like my demo showed—wood counters fire, fire overpowers water, water shatters earth. It’s about mana foundation and technique."*

*"Honestly? Without seeing it live, I’d never have believed that theory."*

*"Break old assumptions, and discoveries follow. Cough... cough..."*

*"You okay? That cough again."*

*"Just an old condition."*

Ouyang Tao recognized his sister’s voice from a hundred meters away. He stopped dead, scanning the open-air training grounds.

There, in a corner rest area, Deya sat side-by-side with a boy, deep in discussion about elemental magic. Their backs were turned—but one thing was clear: *male.* That alone was reason enough for Ouyang Tao to investigate.

*"Deya!"* he called from ten meters out.

*"Huh? Ah! Brother!"* She spun around, leaping from her seat. Waving wildly, she beamed. *"Perfect timing! Edward’s amazing at elemental theory!"*

The boy stood, bowing slightly. *"Greetings, Lord Ouyang. I’m Edward. Thank you again for yesterday."*

*"Oh. Hi."* Ouyang Tao shook his hand. Last night had been too dark to see properly. Now he got a good look at this duke’s heir.

Edward was average height, painfully thin—even frail. Thick-rimmed glasses framed a face radiating scholarly weakness. No trace of noble arrogance. No rugged masculinity either. Just a pale, coughing boy who looked like he couldn’t fight off a kitten. *No wonder he gets bullied.*

*"Deya. Eaten yet?"*

*"Mmm... not yet. Let’s grab dinner together?"*

Ouyang Tao had meant to say, *"You go eat. I need to talk to this guy alone."* But that plan evaporated.

Edward chimed in, earnest: *"Please, let me treat you both. A small thanks for your help. Cough... cough..."*

*"Uh—"* Ouyang Tao opened his mouth to decline—he had testing to do—but Deya latched onto his arm.

*"Pleeease? Edward’s being so nice!"*

*"...Fine."*

Weapon testing would have to wait till tomorrow.

Few knew Edward’s true status as a duke’s son—a security measure he never disclosed. His dorm in the Special Zone housed him alone, attended by servants managing his medical needs. Not pampering. Necessity. His congenital illness demanded it.

Dinner wasn’t Edward’s usual Western fare. The table overflowed with Chinese dishes: shrimp dumplings, tuna egg rolls, roasted lamb—Deya’s favorites. Clearly premeditated.

The food was delicious. Edward ate sparingly—his appetite was always small.

Overall, Ouyang Tao didn’t dislike him. No sycophantic airs. But suspicion lingered. He stayed guarded.

The meal flowed warmly:

*"I heard you dislike Western food, Lord Ouyang. So I had the chef prepare this. Cough... Hope it suits you."*

*"Mmm! So good~"* Deya’s verdict was simple.

*"You knew I hate Western food?"* Odd. Ouyang Tao didn’t recall Edward at the welcome banquet.

*"The banquet incident... caused quite a stir in our department. I heard rumors. Cough..."*

Ouyang Tao’s cheeks burned. *Great. My humiliation went viral.*

*"But seeing you fight Miss Deya to a draw in the orientation match? I gained immense respect. That battle was extraordinary."*

Ouyang Tao waved it off. *"Pure luck. I’m nowhere near her level. Starting from zero now, honestly."*

Even a feast couldn’t silence Deya. She pointed at the bulky case behind Ouyang Tao: *"What’s in that big box, Brother? You’ve been carrying it all evening!"*

*"This?"* He patted the weapon case. *"My first standardized weapon. Heading to the testing grounds to try it out."*

At the word "weapon," Edward’s eyes flickered with sudden light. *"May I... see it?"*

*"Sure."* Standard-issue gear held no secrets. Ouyang Tao agreed readily.

But in that moment, he realized: *This bookish nobleman wasn’t to be underestimated.*