The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 279



57. Only Effort… (Large Chapter, Three-in-One)

“Kid, you’re going to start learning magic now.”

After the transformation was complete, Teacher Meila changed into a plain white lab coat devoid of any soul and spoke to Mu En, who lay motionless on the cold operating table, like a lifeless fish ideal for a zombie.

“Magic…?”

After a long while, Mu En finally lifted his head in confusion, his face filled with a numbed expression as if he had already given up hope.

But gradually, as if a switch had been flipped, light returned to his eyes.

“Magic?”

Mu En jolted upright, but immediately rolled on the ground in pain. Yet, despite this, he lifted his head, excitedly looking at Teacher Meila.

“I can learn magic now?”

He hadn’t forgotten that the reason he came to this academy, striving to learn, was to master powerful magic!

Although the goal of splitting the King of Withering’s power was now lost, which man could refuse powerful and dazzling magic?

What is art?

Art is explosion!

And only magic can bring about the ultimate explosion!

“Well… to be precise, you will be learning the precise manipulation of magical power.”

Teacher Meila said:

“I mentioned before that a basic understanding of magic is essential, because when there are multiple alchemical cores, the paths of magical output and input become exponentially more complex. Coupled with those intricate magical patterns, if your manipulation of magical power isn’t precise, it’s very easy to lose control, and a casual mistake could lead to catastrophic results.”

“Why do I feel like you’re implying something?”

Mu En’s mouth twitched, but immediately, his expression grew tense as he asked earnestly:

“So, what about the powerful, awesome, and cool magic I want to learn?”

“Well, about that… I’ve heard from that kid Plang about the current situation of your Campbell family. I didn’t believe it at first, so I casually tested your talent…”

Teacher Meila’s gaze drifted as she said:

“You can still learn, but…”

“But?”

“But… I suggest you treat learning powerful magic as just a hobby.”

“Hobby?”

Mu En was taken aback.

Stunned again.

Stunned once more?

What does hobby mean?

Does it mean… not to pursue results too eagerly?

In other words…

“The genes of the Campbell family are really that terrifying, to the extent that even you, Teacher Meila, can’t handle it?”

Mu En reacted, covering his face, tears streaming down.

“That’s not quite right. If I wanted to, I could easily make you a true-level great magician, but…”

Teacher Meila stared into Mu En’s eyes, seriously saying:

“Are you really willing to give up everything you are currently striving for, dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to the path of magic?”

“……”

Mu En was taken aback.

Was he willing?

Of course he wasn’t.

After all, he had already come so far down this road; how could he easily change direction and head into the unknown?

As for magic, he only held a longing for it, nothing more.

“Although I admit that the saying ‘my fate is in my hands, not in the heavens’ is indeed true for some, blindly defying certain predetermined things, in my view, is very foolish, extremely foolish.”

“Those who often say such things usually have broader and more abundant paths and choices than others, which is why they disdain the retreat and compromise of ordinary people.”

Teacher Meila patted Mu En on the shoulder, comforting him:

“But don’t be too sad; the genes of the Campbell family that do not allow for magic have given you an extraordinary talent in physicality. Otherwise, after being trained by me for so long, you would have already crumbled.”

“……Alright, fine.”

Mu En forced a bitter smile, quickly accepting reality.

In fact, there was nothing to be dissatisfied about. He had long since stopped being like before, unable to find a specific goal, rushing around like a headless fly just to survive.

Since he had embarked on this path, he could only give his all and walk it to the end.

For this, he was always grateful to Teacher Meila.

“And don’t underestimate the basics of magic manipulation; for you, it will also require a lot of time and effort to learn,” Teacher Meila added.

“Well…”

Mu En looked over with anticipation…

“Don’t look at me.”

Teacher Meila coldly refused:

“Such basic things will be taught in class; you should learn them on your own. I don’t have that much spare time to teach you everything personally.”

“Oh.”

Mu En responded, obediently lying back into the sea of flowers.

A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, brushed past him, and the pleasant fragrance of flowers filled his mind.

Today, the sea of flowers seemed to bloom with different blossoms, uniquely enchanting.

Mu En stared blankly at the illusory blue sky, lost in thought.

Whether it was magic or not was actually a trivial matter; the most important thing now was…

“Holy City…”

In the end, he still found himself involuntarily swept into the whirlpool of fate.

Leaving the academy, leaving Belrand, leaving the protection of Teacher Meira, heading towards the Holy City where even his identity as a duke’s son held no sway.

This was a path that should never have appeared in his plans, a direction that was absolutely contrary to the future he longed for.

But…

When he truly decided to step into it…

He found himself devoid of the panic he had imagined.

“I’ve long since gotten used to it.”

Mu En suddenly felt a surge of emotion; he raised a hand, grasping at the void, then clenched it tightly.

“Then, just like before, let’s prepare a bit more before the tide of fate arrives.”

……

The tide was still approaching, yet Mu En’s life had once again settled into calm.

However, once he devoted himself fully to preparation and study, the leisurely life he had dreamed of slipped further away from him.

Methods of magical manipulation.

Inscribing alchemical matrices.

Learning techniques.

Becoming stronger.

And the upcoming journey.

Unbeknownst to him, a multitude of pressures once again weighed down upon him.

But…

Just as he had said before.

He was already accustomed to these things.

He just needed to continue moving forward at his usual pace.

So Mu En became busy once more.

It was as if he had returned to that time when he sprinted for excellent results for Teacher Meira’s tasks.

Like a machine, he rotated between the black books, classrooms, cafeteria, flower fields, and dormitories.

This time, there were no senior sisters.

Yet, amidst the busyness, he found a different form of leisure.

That was Lia’s musical performances.

This was one of the rare moments in his day when he could relax.

……

“Eh? How did I fall asleep?”

In the haze, Lia seemed to hear Mu En’s voice.

Then, she felt something pinch her cheek.

Lia suddenly woke up, looking at Mu En, who was awkwardly extending a finger, and her face turned red in an instant:

“You, you rogue, what are you doing?”

“Ah, sorry, I just thought you were too cute, so I accidentally…”

“What do you mean too cute? You bad guy, have you finally shown your true colors?”

Seeing Lia instantly retreat behind a tree, only her half head peeking out while she warily stared at him, Mu En wished he could slap himself.

Could he change this habit of pinching anything cute he saw?

One day, he would end up in trouble because of his impulsiveness.

“So, Lia, were you just…?”

Mu En’s gaze fell on the spot where Lia had been lying, and he changed the topic:

“Reading? Studying so hard at a time like this…”

“It has… nothing to do with you!”

Lia instantly reappeared, flustered, quickly stuffing the books into her storage space.

“Alright, alright.”

Mu En noticed the faint fatigue in Lia’s eyes and said nothing, raising his hands in surrender:

“Then can we have today’s performance? Miss Lia.”

“Hmph.”

Lia let out a cute snort and raised her violin.

Wonderful music flowed, melting the snow accumulated on the treetops.

Mu En leaned back on the bench, quietly listening.

Since the incident last time, the two had changed their way of meeting, exchanging the frequencies of their communication stones to agree on locations and times.

The time was uncertain, but the location was mostly this sycamore grove.

Because it was less crowded and secluded.

Especially with the end of the term approaching and the academy announcing the selection of students to go to the Holy City, almost all the students had curbed their desire for fun and started to work hard.

And a certain Feng Aotian had started to have money to buy chicken legs, no longer needing to sneak along back roads for a few pieces of black bread.

The already secluded path had even fewer visitors.

It felt as if this place had become their secret base.

As the number of performances increased, Mu En could sense that Lia was no longer as wary of him as before.

Although she would occasionally still react like earlier in surprise, Mu En could feel that, to a large extent, it was mostly a joke now.

And in that music, it was no longer as mechanical as before, but began to gradually infuse some emotion into the performance.

It became increasingly beautiful and enchanting.

Yet, in each recent performance, Mu En could see certain familiar things in Lia’s expressions and eyes.

That was the gaze of someone exerting their utmost for something.

He could also discern the girl’s fatigue.

But Mu En did not cease the act of playing.

Because he realized that the girl could only slightly relax the taut string when she was performing.

Unknowingly, this brief performance had become one of the rare moments for the girl, whose purpose was not originally this, to unwind.

The holy light that naturally emanated from the music not only brushed away Mu En’s fatigue but also slightly soothed the girl’s heart.

It was as if, without realizing it, this act of performing had already become something more than just for money.

Mu En did not break this tacit understanding.

A place was agreed upon.

Perform.

Listen.

Pay.

A simple employer and performer relationship.

Lia played earnestly.

He listened quietly to the music.

Nothing more.

“Not bad.”

Watching Lia, who played the enchanting melody like a fairy, Mu En smiled slightly.

Then time passed.

One month later at St. Maria Academy.

After nearly a month of snowflakes swirling, today in Belrand, a rare good weather finally arrived. The warm winter sun shone upon the silver-clad earth, making everything in the world appear adorned with jewels, sparkling brightly, as if this long winter was about to pass just like that.

Perhaps due to some influencing factor, this year’s winter came faster and more fiercely than ever before. A continuous month of snow had nearly dyed the city pure white, which was extremely rare in the history of the entire empire.

Although under certain external forces, the continuous heavy snow did not bring significant impact to this prosperous city, such good weather naturally made those basking in the sunlight feel joyful.

Even the academy seemed to be infected by this cheerful atmosphere, with sounds of students laughing and playing echoing everywhere.

Of course, the students’ joy was not solely due to the sunny weather, but also because of the date; they had less than a week left until the much-anticipated long holiday.

As for that annoying exam, it had completely ended three days ago. Those who performed well welcomed the holiday with even more joy, while those who did poorly had long since chosen to give up.

Yet today still felt somewhat special.

From noble mtl dot com

“Quick, quick, quick! Lia, are you ready?”

In the early morning, Ariel unexpectedly did not wait for Lia to wake her up; instead, she rushed into Lia’s room in a flurry.

“Little lazy pig, time is running out!”

“Who are you calling a little lazy pig?”

Lia, already fully dressed, pouted her cheeks and shot a cute glare at Ariel.

“I always get up earlier than you!”

“Hehe, I’m just worried you, this little mare, might stumble at a crucial moment.”

Ariel scratched her head and chuckled foolishly.

“You’re the little mare!”

Lia angrily pinched the soft flesh at Ariel’s waist.

But she didn’t use much force; her freshly arranged uniform was not suitable for roughhousing.

The two exchanged smiles.

“Nervous?”

“A bit.”

“Hmph, I’m not nervous at all.”

Ariel placed her hands on her hips, her eyes bursting with confidence.

Today is special.

Because today is the day the academy announces the candidates for the Holy City’s Sacred Ceremony.

According to the academy a month ago, they would determine the candidates based on students’ performances, grades, and overall abilities.

The slots are very few, and the competition is fierce.

Even among the students of St. Maria Academy, a large portion are followers of the goddess Amiel, so being able to visit the Holy City in person is a great honor for them.

Not to mention, this is a significant ceremony to determine the future saintess.

If one could establish a connection with that future saintess…

Thus, once this news was announced, many students began to roll up their sleeves in preparation.

Unfortunately, the academy initially limited participation to students under twenty, which made many upperclassmen pound their chests and sigh in frustration; otherwise, the competition would have been even more terrifying.

But even so, from the hundreds of eligible students, only seven would be selected. With such a terrifying elimination rate, if one aspect of their performance isn’t top-notch, they might as well not even think about it.

Yet, despite the harsh conditions, Ariel was very confident.

Because all her efforts over the years were for this moment.

Not just for herself, but also for the girl beside her who had always quietly supported her.

But…

“Liya, are you okay?”

Ariel looked at Liya with concern.

Even though Liya was one of the main characters in this ceremony, a candidate saintess of the church, she still needed to meet the academy’s standards in order to participate in the ceremony alongside the academy.

This was probably also the reason why the church did not allow the saintess to reveal her identity during the trials of the mundane world. If she didn’t even have the qualifications to attend the ceremony based on her own abilities, then how could she talk about becoming the future saintess who would lead countless believers?

“I’m fine.”

Liya nodded vigorously, pushing all her anxieties deep down inside, signaling to Ariel to be at ease.

“I can do this.”

Although she had always appeared rather inconspicuous, her academic performance had been outstanding.

Moreover, she had been working even harder during this time.

So, there was nothing to worry about.

Yes, I can do this.

“That’s good to hear.”

Seeing Liya finally display some confidence, Ariel reached out her hand to her:

“Let’s go.”

……

……

The auditorium.

As the two entered the auditorium, they found it already in a state of uproar.

A large number of students had already found their seats and were discussing the allocation of spots in small groups.

Although the announcement was only about spots related to the lower grades, many upperclassmen had come to watch the commotion.

“Damn it, we’re late.”

Ariel pulled Liya through the noise, searching for a place to sit.

After a great deal of effort, they finally found a few adjacent empty seats in a corner.

Once seated, both of them let out a long breath, quietly waiting.

However, before the list was announced, Ariel noticed a familiar figure pass by in front of her. Hesitating for a moment, the person then crossed over her and sat down in the empty seat next to Liya without any courtesy.

An annoying aura hit her face.

“Mu’en Campbell?”

Ariel’s eyes widened:

“What are you doing sitting here?”

“Well, I had no choice…”

Mu En helplessly spread his hands at Ariel, “As you can see, I’m late too and haven’t found a seat yet.”

“Then won’t you look for a little longer? I see you’re doing this on purpose!”

Ariel tightly hugged Liya, speaking cautiously:

“Tell me, are you trying to get close to Liya!”

“……”

Looking at this oddly familiar scene, Mu En twitched the corner of his mouth.

Why, after three volumes, does this guy still have such strange thoughts?

He hasn’t made a move in a month; would he do it right in front of you now?

Does he really seem like the kind of person who would dare to corner the protagonist, Feng Aotian?

“If you don’t want me to sit with Liya, you can switch seats with her.”

Mu En patted the armrest and smiled:

“I don’t mind sitting with you.”

“You—”

Ariel’s eyes widened even more.

Sitting with this annoying guy, she…

“Alright.”

Liya secretly pinched the soft flesh at Ariel’s waist,

“With so many people around, Mu En… Mu En Campbell can’t do anything to me, Ariel, you’re overthinking it.”

“Hmph, my instincts tell me that I can’t let my guard down around this guy.”

Ariel muttered, releasing Liya.

She shot Mu En another fierce glare before turning her head to look straight ahead at the auditorium.

It’s starting.

Liya also straightened up, sitting upright, not glancing at Mu En even once.

On stage, the comical pink bear acting as the interim dean spoke, rambling on about a bunch of nonsense, announcing that he would step down from the position of interim dean, lamenting that he couldn’t wait for summer to see all the girls in swimming class, and blah blah blah…

Eventually, he was kicked off the stage by the exasperated Professor Prang.

Then, the main topic began.

“Regarding the candidates representing the academy to go to the Holy City…”

Everyone tensed up.

Ariel held her breath and focused.

“Third year, Fanny Sawyer.”

Somewhere in the auditorium, the cheers of the girls echoed.

This is the first one.

“Third year, Vicky Morse.”

The cheers were equally intense.

This is the second one.

“Third year, Marshall Eddy.”

This is the third one.

“Third year, Aaron Mack.”

Thud.

This is the fourth one!

The first four, all third years.

But this is only to be expected; even with age restrictions, the third years closest to the criteria undoubtedly have the greatest advantage.

After all, a year is enough to widen the gap significantly.

It’s very likely that all of them are third years!

“Second year, Ariel Bugarde.”

The fifth one…

“Got it!”

Although it was anticipated, hearing her name made Ariel jump up in excitement and hug Lia tightly.

“Lia, I got it!”

“Mm.”

Lia also gripped her hand tightly and said happily, “Congratulations, Ariel.”

“I…”

Ariel was about to say something but suddenly paused.

Because from Lia’s smiling face, she sensed unease.

She was jolted awake.

That’s right.

She had gotten it, but there were only two spots left!

The entire second year still had so many outstanding students!

Lia, she…

“No… it’s okay, Lia, you don’t have to worry. Even if I really fail, I will find another way to take you to the Holy City, I promise!”

Ariel comforted her seriously, and after speaking, she turned back, hands tightly clasped, nervously staring at the stage.

“Mm.”

Liya let out a small “mm.”

That’s right.

There’s nothing to worry about.

Even if the useless me fails, as long as Ariel is here, I can…

“Indeed, there’s no need to worry, Liya.”

Suddenly, Liya heard a familiar voice ringing in her ear.

“Believe in yourself, you absolutely can.”

“You…”

Liya jumped slightly, stealing a glance at Ariel, who was intently focused ahead. She bit her lip and turned to Mu’en, who was speaking softly beside her, and said just as quietly:

“W… why? How can you be so sure?”

“Because it’s intuition.” Mu’en smiled.

“Intuition… that’s so unreliable…”

“And… because you work really hard.”

The plain yet firm voice surged into her mind.

Liya paused, looking at the man beside her, who showed no signs of tension.

His deep blue eyes were clear, as if devoid of any falsehood.

“Pah.”

Liya suddenly snapped back to reality, her cheeks slightly flushed, adorably muttering.

“You’re lying.”

She almost let herself be deceived by sweet words.

What do you know about me, having only brief interactions during my performances every day?

Moreover, someone as foolish as me, with just simple effort, how could it be…

“Second year, Liya Angel.”

Professor Plang’s serious voice echoed in her ears.

Liya froze.

In her sparkling big eyes, it was as if a stone had been thrown into a lake, beginning to stir faint ripples.

In an instant, it felt as if she had returned to that moment before each of her performances.

All was silent.

She stood up dazedly, lowered her head in a daze, and… stared at the handsome man with a chin resting on his hand, smiling.

“See?”

Mu En said happily:

“My experience won’t be wrong. In this world, hard work will never deceive you, Classmate Lia.”