Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Mei Mi promptly fetched the scroll, inadvertently catching a glimpse of its contents as she unfurled it. A few seconds later, as she returned to Ludwig's side, she couldn't resist the curiosity and asked while handing over the scroll:

"Chief, isn't this Li Qingzhi's speech?" She had initially assumed it was Ludwig's own.

The blond youth accepted the scroll from her expressionlessly, as if nothing had happened, "I took the wrong one this morning."

The explanation was concise and compelling, seemingly as persuasive as ever.

Mei Mi, still slightly perplexed, nodded in understanding. "I see." However, she couldn't help but glance at the long-haired maiden, Catherine, beside her, as if she had something to share with her.

As Ludwig stowed away the scroll, he mentally noted, not too dull-witted after all.

The other freshmen, now free to chat, eagerly discussed the events of the assembly and the two representatives who had become the center of attention.

"That Student Council President was so serious, I really got a scare. I thought I was going to be punished because I felt like he was looking straight at me."

"Ha ha ha ha, who asked you to speak so loudly? You should have shown some restraint. Didn't the Student Council just warn you?"

In comparison, that Eastern exchange student seemed much less threatening. Perhaps they weren't as odd as the rumors suggested.

"I fear it's quite futile; with a rating of merely B, and prone to seeking attention recklessly without regard for the situation, it's merely a mischievous underachiever."

"Anthony, you seem to dislike that exchange student quite a bit."

In this discussion that had initially been fueled by mere curiosity, the source of the discordant note was an orange-haired youth dressed in rather extravagant attire. He cast his gaze towards Li Qingzhi's direction and promptly let out a disdainful snort, his slender eyes rolling in a sarcastic gesture. "Hmph, I detest the most those commoners who lack any real ability yet still try to grab the spotlight."

Unaware of the commotion involving Ludwig and the noble students, Li Qingzhi had already reached the entrance of the auditorium.

Having just weathered the storm of his speech, he exhaled in relief: as long as nothing went awry, it was fine.

As thoughts swirled, Li Qingzhi, who had just been inevitably nervous, couldn't help but inwardly grumble that it had been easier to read his repentance aloud in public previously.

Just then, his shoulder was casually yet deliberately tapped.

Qingzhi turned around to find Bruce, the brown-haired youth with whom he had grown familiar, smiling at him. "Li Qingzhi, let's walk together."

Seeing Bruce, Li Qingzhi also felt a sense of joy. Nodding promptly, he agreed to accompany the invitation.

The two walked side by side like bosom buddies until Li Qingzhi unsheathed the ShadowBearer sword and Bruce fetched his own broom. The brown-haired youth suddenly glanced at the luminous ShadowBearer in Li Qingzhi's hand and instantly felt his broom wasn't as cool in comparison.

"Shall we join forces?" Bruce's eyes shimmered with excitement.

Of course, Li Qingzhi was more than willing to bring Bruce along. Flying on swords together was far more enjoyable than doing it alone.

Only that...

Li Qingzhi, who should have been joyfully departing with his friend via sword flight, hesitated for an instant as if struck by a thought, then turned his head to secretly glance in the direction behind him.

Bruce observed this and inquired with curiosity, "What are you looking at?"

After confirming that the blond Head Prefect was occupied with directing the new students and not paying attention to them, Li Qingzhi heaved a sigh of relief and said to Bruce, "Nothing, nothing. Let's go quickly!"

Bruce, after pondering for a few seconds, suddenly understood, "Oh, you're afraid of being caught by the Head Prefect, huh? He did punish you for that last time." Then, Bruce hesitated, "Maybe we should just forget it. I don't want you to get into trouble again."

But Li Qingzhi knew how eagerly Bruce had been watching his sword, making it difficult to refuse him.

Since Ludwig is busy, he probably won't be paying attention to this area, right? ...

With this in mind, Li Qingzhi made up his mind and quickly spoke to Bruce as he looked at him, "It's alright, come on up!"

Given Bruce's anticipation, it was difficult for Li Qingzhi to refuse. Besides, what could be more enjoyable than flying on a sword with a friend?

"Here I am, here I am." Bruce no longer delayed and, with some skill, stood on the back of the sword behind Li Qingzhi. At that moment, Chengying Sword remained exceptionally steady, seemingly unfazed by the additional weight.

As they soared into the air, Bruce, holding onto Li Qingzhi's shoulder, exclaimed happily, "Your sword is so fast and stable! It's completely different from when I fly on my own!"

Li Qingzhi, carrying Bruce, was equally delighted. This easily reminded him of the times he spent leisurely chatting with his fellow disciples while flying over the Three Silent Mountains, filling him with nostalgic thoughts.

As Li Qingzhi flew towards the Botanical College with Bruce, their familiar green-haired friend, Amelia, flew up to join them, greeting them mid-air.

Though Amelia had been timid at first, under Li Qingzhi and Bruce's guidance, she now dared to fly standing up. Or rather, this novel mode of flight had become popular in the Botanical College, with almost everyone eager to experience the thrill of standing while soaring.

By now, Li Qingzhi had already flown a considerable distance with Bruce, so he relaxed his vigilance slightly, not expecting Ludwig to notice them amidst the multitude of flying students.

However, Li Qingzhi never imagined that the golden-haired Chief, with his exceptional eyesight, would glance up and instantly spot him amidst the crowd.

In fairness to Ludwig, Chengying Sword's subtly glowing blade was far too recognizable compared to the brown brooms in the sky. Moreover, Li Qingzhi's figure had long been etched into the Chief's memory.

Observing Li Qingzhi as he allowed the brown-haired youth to grasp his shoulders, flying together while engaged in an uninterrupted stream of cheerful conversation, Ludwig's gaze momentarily paused.

This disobedient Easterner.

Didn't you say last time that you would never fly with anyone else again?

At that moment, Bruce was jovially conversing with Amelia by his side. However, in the midst of their chat, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of something on the ground, causing the brown-haired boy to turn pale with shock. His grip on Li Qingzhi's shoulder unconsciously tightened for an instant.

"Goodness gracious, it seems like the Chief is looking in our direction!"

Li Qingzhi, who had been happily chatting, froze on the spot, momentarily unable to believe what he heard. "Are you serious?"

They were almost at the Botanical Academy; how could Ludwig possibly see them from that distance??

By the time the two mischief-makers returned to the classroom, still shaken, Li Qingzhi was about to inquire further when Bruce confidently declared, "He was definitely looking this way. I could even sense his anger!"