Charlotte leaned in the soft chair, her gaze sweeping over the fleeting scenery outside the window, the assorted beautiful manors, dew-kissed lush flowers and grass, early morning busy rchants pushing creaking carts, with the distant towering spires sketching out the elegant skyline of the royal capital.
The air wafted with a fresh scent blending bread and flowers, everything seed orderly and full of vitality.
The wheels rolled over the last stretch of the tree-lined path, stopping in front of a vast complex with a wide plaza and multi-story main building.
This was the Kingdom Academy, the premier place of learning for young nobles and scholar descendants of the royal capital.
Charlotte stepped down from the carriage, bid farewell to Old Lusfer, and with her maid Sherry, entered through the academy gates.
Already on the academy square, there were quite a few groups of three to five students, their morning conversations, laughter, and the faint sound of organ practice from afar interwoven, full of youthful vigor.
"Good day, Charlotte!"
A clear voice rang out.
Charlotte looked in the direction of the sound; it was Emily, a girl with beautiful brown curly hair, standing with a few familiar classmates.
"Good day, Emily."
Charlotte smiled and walked forward.
"Have you heard? Today's 'Extraordinary Origin Theory' lecture is being delivered by Sebas Fla Heart! That scholar who published the sensational paper on 'Ancient Elf Rune Examination'!"
Emily said excitedly, her eyes shining brightly:
"It's said he's friends with Lord Nicholas!"
"I know. He's very knowledgeable."
Charlotte nodded, yet her gaze was instinctively drawn to the notice board on one side of the square.
Besides academy notices, there was a poster depicting the elegant elf customs of the West Continent with beautiful floral script beside it:
"Special Guest Scholar: Sebas Fla Heart (Honorary mber of the Royal Society of the Elf Country) - 'The Source of the Extraordinary: From Myth to Reality.'
"Alright, let's hurry and get a good seat!"
Emily linked arms with Charlotte, and along with other classmates, walked laughing and chatting towards the large lecture hall on the east side of the main building.
The classroom was spacious and bright, heavy oak tables arranged in a semicircle, with the podium backed by a huge blackboard covering an entire wall.
Already, quite a number of students were seated in the classroom.
Apart from the noble heirs and commoner students of New Moon Kingdom, there were also so foreign students dressed in clothing with distinctive elf, dwarf, or other racial traits, mostly gathered together, conversing in low voices in their respective languages.
Charlotte and her companions took their seats in the middle of the front rows.
Just as she placed her books and notes on the table, the classroom door was pushed open again.
A red-haired elf scholar, hair neatly tied behind his head, dressed in an impeccable deep grey suit and wearing gold-rimd glasses, walked in with composure.
He was handso, with a gentle and elegant deanor, precisely Sebastian Fla Heart.
His entrance imdiately quieted the sowhat noisy classroom.
Following him, and stepping onto the podium first, was the course's official lecturer for the day—Mr. Yulster.
He appeared to be around thirty years old, pale yet handso, possessing an almost inhuman refinent, ticulous dark brown hair, and calm deep red eyes sweeping over the room.
His attire was an extrely well-tailored black suit, rigid to the point of severity.
Though he appeared only thirty, Charlotte knew he was likely at least a thousand years old.
He was a mber of the favored clan, a mysterious race said to be sub-gods of the Creation Goddess, the world's only immortal longevity species, though it's said they must periodically sleep to alleviate soul degradation.
"Good morning, everyone."
Yulster's voice was steady, with a slight chill:
"As you all know, in today's class, we have the privilege of being joined by Sebas Fla Heart from the Elf Kingdom to jointly explore the grand topic of the 'Origin of the Extraordinary', while I shall serve as host and supplent."
"Now, let us welco Scholar Sebas."
Applause rose.
Sebas bowed slightly in acknowledgnt, stepping to the center of the podium.
"Thank you, Mr. Yulster, for the introduction, and thank you all young scholars for attending."
Sebas began, his voice clear and lodious:
"Today, I hope to share with you not conclusions but so clues and thoughts based on archaeological finds, ancient texts, and cross-continental comparative research. First, let us start with ti..."
He elegantly turned, using chalk to write several key ti points and place nas on the chalkboard.
This elf scholar's lecture was thorough yet accessible, citing nurous excavation reports from the Elf Kingdom on various ancient sites in the West Continent and long-term observation data of magic power origin fluctuations by elf mages.
He demonstrated that the eras with definitive signs of extraordinary traces, that can be roughly dated, extend back around three thousand years.
"...Therefore, from the current, verifiable archaeological and magical evidence level, we can presently ascertain that the systematic extraordinary powers 'manifested' on Earth roughly within this tifra."
"Of course, this does not imply that earlier tis absolutely lacked the extraordinary; only that... concrete evidence, beyond mythical legends, has yet to be discovered."
At that mont, a human student raised his hand; upon gaining permission, he stood up and confidently asked, displaying the characteristic assurance of a kingdom scholar:
"Scholar Fla Heart, I have a question. According to your statent, extraordinary powers appeared roughly three thousand years ago simultaneously. Then, where is its source, precisely? Is it from our Eastern Continent, where New Moon Kingdom is situated, or the Western Continent, where elves inhabit?"
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