Scholar Hyde's backyard.
On the green lawn, everyone sat on chairs of varying sizes, forming a semicircle around Scholar Hyde, listening to him impart knowledge.
"As everyone knows, the land we currently inhabit, which is the continent, rests on the back of a giant serpent, undulating and moving forward above the sea of clouds."
"There are a total of seven such continents, arranged in a scattered manner, and the conditions of each continent vary greatly."
"But, does anyone know where this vast land beneath our feet actually comes from?" he asked, stroking his wide white beard.
To this question, most of the commoner students were curious and confused, while a few noble students seemed bored, as they already knew the answer.
"Yelo, you answer." Hyde pointed the slender wooden stick in his hand towards the chubby boy in front and to his right.
"Me? Alright, Teacher."
Yelo stood up, faced everyone, organized his thoughts, and then spoke.
"The continents we currently know, as well as the Celestial Courtyard, were all formed from the remains of giant fish that swam in the Sky Sea in an extremely ancient era."
"In that era, the entire world was like an ocean without up or down, and many giant fish cruised within it. Some of them might have grown tens of thousands of miles long, being the largest known creatures. These giant fish were also manifestations of essence (True Fish)."
"Such an era lasted for an unknowable number of years until an alien star shattered the world's embryonic shell and descended upon the world."
"The terrifying wound torn by the alien star caused the world to tremble, and countless flames also bloomed from the dark Sky Sea, from which the first light was born, namely the 'Blazing Sun' and the 'phantom moon'."
"The 'Blazing Sun' boiled the Sky Sea, and countless creatures died in this process. Afterward, their corpses drifted across the Sky Sea, becoming the first soil and land. The (True Fish) also gradually transformed into the current 'Spiral Fish' essence."
"Alright, that's enough for now." Scholar Hyde gestured for Yelo to sit down.
"As for how these scattered soils and lands transformed into the current seven continents, that involves the turbulent changes of several epochs, which you will gradually learn about in the future."
"Now, let's continue discussing this vast and boundless world we live in."
"The giant serpent roams in the Twilight Sea of Clouds, and our continent thus rises and falls. When it is above the clouds, the [Blazing Sun] is intense, which is commonly known as the 'Season of Rising Wind'."
"When the giant serpent sinks, the continent also sinks into the sea of clouds, and the rapidly flowing atmosphere rushes through, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. During this period, the [Vault of Heaven] essence flows, which is the'Squall Season'."
"And when the giant serpent sinks to the very bottom, and the entire continent falls within the sea of clouds, the sunlight dims, all things are silent, and the world seems to fall into a mist, submerged and unseen. During this period, the [Dormant Winter] and [Mist Shadow] essences permeate, which is the most difficult 'Deep Mist Season'."
"After enduring the most difficult years, when the giant serpent ascends again, the continent breaks free from the submerged mist and once again reaches above the firmament. During this period, the [Vault of Heaven] reappears, also known as the 'Trade Wind Season'."
Scholar Hyde's lessons were rich and interesting, making even complex knowledge easy to understand. Soon, all the students present were immersed in it...
Afternoon
After lunch, it was the students' break time, and it was then that they truly began to interact with each other.
"Are you Tia?" A girl with freckles on her face and wearing a gray linen skirt greeted Sylvia curiously.
"Yes." The girl turned and replied.
"Hello, I'm Komiya." The other party introduced herself, lightly pressing her hand to her chest.
As the two talked, another commoner girl walked over. She was taller and had many calluses on her palms, indicating she had done a lot of physical labor in her daily life.
"Hello, I'm Karen." Karen had golden-chestnut hair, slightly curled at the ends.
The three commoner girls sat together and chatted. On the other side, four commoner boys gathered to talk. In the distance, Yelo sat alone in a corner, reading and studying. And in the round pavilion, several young nobles surrounded Miss Iona.
"Miss Iona, you are so beautiful I want to be your most loyal suitor " A noble youth dressed in velvet knelt on one knee, holding a red flower from who-knows-where, reciting passionately.
"Tsk." Miss Iona was very impatient with this and didn't give him face, directly turning her head away.
"Who is this guy?" she asked the others beside her.
"His name is Barron, Baron Quide's son." Someone answered with a gloating tone.
"Don't know him."
Miss Iona waved her hand and walked to the other side of the pavilion to get some air, while Knight Leven's daughter, Valerie, quickly followed.
"Miss Iona." She spoke in a thin voice, wanting to get on good terms with the young lady.
"Hmm, what's your name?" Miss Iona asked without turning her head.
"My name is Valerie." The girl replied excitedly.
"Alright, sit here."
Miss Iona's attitude was a bit better now, or perhaps she simply wanted to find a small follower.
"Tell me about Cinderstone City, like important people and such."
"Important people, you ask? I admire Selph the most. She often hosts salons, inviting the socialites of Cinderstone City, including talented artists and painters, who tell us about the latest trends and fashion ~" At this, Valerie's expression was filled with longing and excitement.
"Salons? And that kind." Miss Iona shook her head as she listened, feeling a bit like laughing.
She had hosted countless salons and gatherings in White Cliff City, and even some trends in the Regas Kingdom were started by her. How brilliant could a salon organized by a country noblewoman be?
"I mean powerful extraordinary individuals, not people involved in art and fashion." She had to interrupt Valerie's introduction.
"Extraordinary individuals, that..." Valerie suddenly got stuck.
"My father, Leven, is a very powerful Knight." She suddenly remembered something and recommended her father to Miss Iona.
"Knight Leven is a Knight who swore allegiance to Lord Snow, right?" Miss Iona turned her head and asked.
"Yes, Miss Iona." Hearing this, Valerie replied proudly.
"Heh, then how can I steal someone from my own uncle?" Miss Iona felt that this person in front of her was full of useless mud water.
Moreover, looking at Valerie, her father must be quite old. Although he was a Knight (Third Tier · Castle), his potential was probably limited, with no room for improvement. Her own father had countless such people under his command in the past.
Thinking of her father, Miss Iona's face darkened, and her mood soured again.
If her father had won the 'Battle of the Windmills', how would she have ended up in such a remote and poor place?
For a moment, the conversation in the round pavilion quieted down, becoming somewhat subdued... "So Karen has hunted before?" Komiya covered her mouth with a light chuckle, then asked curiously.
"Yes, my father is the village hunter, so I've been familiar with these things since I was little. But drawing a bow can easily injure your hands, so my father hasn't let me touch a bow and arrow for the past two years." Karen spread her palm, which had many scars and calluses.
Among the three, Komiya's parents were guild employees, while Karen was the child of a village hunter.
"Then how did Karen come to Cinderstone City?" Sylvia felt a little curious.
"How did I get by? At first, I didn't understand anything. My older brother from the same village told me to find work."
"First, I helped out in the market, where they always needed hands. Then, because I was familiar with bows and arrows, I went to work at the arrow-making workshop in the city. Although it was hard work, the pay was decent, about 4 silver coins a month." At this, Karen was particularly content.
Arrows are consumables, and making them yourself is very labor-intensive, so many Adventurers and wealthy people buy them directly.
"What about Tia? Have you always been studying with Scholar Hyde?" The others had only seen her today for the first time, and she was with Scholar Hyde.
"No, but my previous teacher was Scholar Hyde's student, so I'm a little familiar with him." The girl replied.
"I see."
The three sat on wooden benches under the trees and chatted, gradually becoming more familiar with each other. Komiya was a bit more lively, Karen was more simple and honest, and as for Sylvia, their current impression of her was probably that she was very beautiful, a bit delicate, and a girl who had little contact with the outside world.
Slowly, Sylvia and the other two became familiar with each other.
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