A squad from the Order of the Radiant Knights escorted the "special guest" back to Vice-Dean Kris's house and departed after a thorough inspection of the surroundings.
Around noon, Claire stayed for lunch, offering so words of comfort to Lu Li.
"Don't worry, I'll be with you when the Tournant starts. They won't be able to do anything."
It was undeniable that Lu Li needed protection.
The Tournant was different from the real world. Not in its brutality, but because the humans and anomalies who had embraced human civilization were far more unpredictable than pure anomalies. They had no rituals and did not follow instinct; they wielded their minds as weapons.
Therefore, he had to be wary of attacks—from participants looking to provoke him, from the recently slighted Monck family, or from infiltrators aiming to eliminate the "exorcist who represents the hope of humanity."
"Before the Tournant, make sure you ask Mother for sothing good. She won't let any harm co to you."
After lunch, Claire returned to the Academy of Giant Trees, and Lu Li's life beca quiet once more.
The only difference was that Lu Li now took the books he found in the study or Vice-Dean Kris's room up to the attic with him.
This prevented Claire, who returned every few days, from finding any new "evidence."
There were no nagging lectures from elders, nor the youthful recklessness of peers. This made Claire's ti with Lu Li more pleasant than she had expected—
Vice-Dean Kris never appeared, so Claire would sotis claim her mother had sent her to check on Lu Li, though the truth of that was debatable.
Once a week, Lu Li and Claire would return to the Academy of Giant Trees to enter the forbidden Swamps and harvest humanity.
To prevent his consciousness from being distorted, Lu Li avoided any further contact with the faith of Truth. He had managed well so far—no suspicious curiosity stirred within him, nor any strong desire to investigate.
Over ti, the attic where Lu Li lived gradually transford into a treehouse.
Branches sprouted from the planks of his bed, forming a natural canopy above it. Shoots pushed through the slanted ceiling, dangling down like vines. Below, neighbors would often look up, puzzled by the wild grass growing around the chimney on the roof.
Unfortunately, when Lu Li left, they would wither and fall dormant again.
A week remained until the March Supremacy Tournant.
When Claire returned after resolving so incident, Lu Li followed her back to the Academy of Giant Trees a week later, arriving at the cabin in the Swamps.
Silver Cross Elephant had finished recuperating and left last week, so only Mildred Humphrey and the recently rescued Blitz Tyler remained.
He, too, was a legend with his own autobiography.
Mildred Humphrey, living a life of retirent in the cabin, said that the Lord had already nad the place the "cozy cabin."
BOOM—
Five gunshots echoed through the woods, attracting attention from the Safe Zone, but all anyone could see were the dense shadows of the forest deep within the swamps.
Lowering the smoking spirit pistol, Lu Li reloaded it with silver bullets, holstered the weapon, and walked back toward the cabin.
"Your niece, Claire, is back," Mildred Humphrey said as Lu Li scanned the area.
Lu Li gave a slight nod and, ducking his head, entered the cabin.
Mildred Humphrey moved a blanket from the sofa and began to prepare coffee beans.
"The March Supremacy Tournant is in a week, and I'd like to get so information," Lu Li said, taking a seat on an empty sofa.
Blitz Tyler, still in his pri, entered the cabin carrying a log. His powerful, bear-like fra blocked most of the dim light from outside.
"You want information that isn't common knowledge?" Mildred Humphrey asked, her words sounding a bit awkward. Then, as she ground the coffee beans, she began to explain.
"The true aning of the March Supremacy Tournant is... Fusion..."
Originally, the March Supremacy Tournant was established by the Academy of Giant Trees to foster competition and learning between its upper and lower levels. But as the Knightly Orders and the Council of Nobles joined, its primary purpose shifted to a Fusion of civilizations.
"While the anomalies corrupt us, we are also corrupting them... by adopting their mindsets, their civilization, their customs."
"When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you," Blitz Tyler said grimly, setting down the firewood.
It was the price—the price demanded by the truth of equilibrium.
While humanity used the power of anomalies to fight back, it was also slowly becoming anomalous itself.
"And the process of the Tournant?"
"It's not fixed from year to year... It's usually three different trials," Mildred Humphrey continued, going on to describe the structure and results of several past Tournants.
The Midnight Church was the champion of the last March Supremacy Tournant. In fact, ever since the church began participating, they've taken ho most of the titles.
Whether the Midnight Church won through sheer power or vested interests remained a topic of ongoing debate.
The Academy of Giant Trees always ranked near the bottom. Even though it was the Tournant's original founder and chief referee, its students were adolescents and children whose strength couldn't compare to the other factions. In fact, if it weren't for the support of the Lower Academy, their performance would have been even worse.
This year, however, seed promising—not only because of Lu Li's participation, but also due to the arrival of two new factions.
New factions, unfamiliar with the rules, usually racked up a lot of penalty points and finished last. This gave the Academy of Giant Trees a chance to finally climb out of the bottom ranks.
Mildred Humphrey told Lu Li about the two new factions, which hadn't been officially announced yet: the Union of Divine Cities and a certain pantheon.
"Have you been reading any books lately?"
Mildred Humphrey asked. When Lu Li confird that he had, she said:
"Not enough... Take this. Give it to the library attendant and have him take you to the Garbage House. Inside, you'll find what you need to morize... And don't be surprised."
She didn't tell Lu Li why. Taking the leaf sample Mildred Humphrey had given him, Lu Li rode the elevator back to the Trunk Level and showed it to the library attendant.
The silent attendant led Lu Li to a dilapidated wooden door in a deserted corner.
Opening the door, he saw a book house before him, separate from the library.
The attendant had already left. Entering the book house, Lu Li randomly took a book from a bookshelf.
"The Creation and Use of the Scythe"
Lu Li scanned the covers of other books: A Collection of Detective Stories, Solving Riddles, The rits of Count Likeh. It was all basic, useless knowledge, mixed in with biographies and fantasy tales.
Rembering Mildred Humphrey's final words, Lu Li grabbed a few of the more morable-looking story collections, left the library, and returned to the attic at Vice-Dean Kris's residence in Midnicht.
For the next few days, Lu Li didn't go to the study or the bedroom. He remained in the attic, reading the story collections he had taken from the "Garbage House."
On the fourth day, Lu Li received a gold-embossed invitation from the Academy of Giant Trees.
"Esteed Lu Li:
We cordially invite you to participate in the Tournant of Ten Powers, to be held in three days' ti. May glory and radiance be with you.
The Council of ntors, Academy of Giant Trees"
Claire arrived shortly after. She found Lu Li with his bags packed, gazing around the attic that now resembled a treehouse.
"There's no need to be sad about it," Claire said as she led Lu Li back toward the Academy of Giant Trees. "I'll ask Mother to find a way to preserve it."
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