The grandfather clock in the study ticked leisurely, and the sound of gears could be heard clearly.
The fragrance of sandalwood from the ancient books on the carved bookcase in the corner wafts through the air.
Looking at the magic desk lamp on the table that emitted soft amber light, Noe took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and his brows gradually relaxed.
Regardless of whether Lanqi was acting or not, at least he felt comforted by Lanqi's slow and leisurely attitude.
"But father, I need some money before I take the exam. Can you try to ensure that I have sufficient funds for these three months?"
Just when Noe thought Lanci was about to leave, Lanci's voice made him open his eyes again.
"What are you going to do?"
Noe asked warily.
It seems that he suspects that Lanci wants to cheat as much money as possible before the entrance examination and indulge himself in one last act.
"Making magic cards requires a lot of money for materials, and I also need to hire a suitable teacher."
Lanqi's expression and voice remained so calm.
It doesn't seem like he's lying at all.
He was indeed telling the truth.
Because after he finishes reading the code, he will start studying magic cards.
"Can you make magic cards?"
Noe asked in surprise.
This time Lanci did not answer immediately.
Actually, not yet.
He needed a perfect rhetoric to make his father trust him and invest in him wholeheartedly.
However, at this time,
"I promise the young master that he will make excellent magic cards."
The butler who had been standing behind Noe spoke up.
He bent down slightly and said beside Noe,
"If you could see the painting in the young master's room, you would not worry about him anymore."
"oh?"
Hearing this, Noe turned his head and looked at the butler.
He was surprised by the butler's words, but soon he realized what was going on and was pleasantly surprised.
Then he looked at Lanqi with interest:
"Lanqi, have you started painting again recently? To be praised so highly by Hans, it must be a pretty good painting."
Hans is the name of the butler, but my previous incarnation seldom called him by his name. So Lanqi followed his previous incarnation's habit and simply used "you" when communicating with the butler.
"It's more than just..."
The butler smiled and shook his head.
Obviously, the old master has not realized the level of the young master's painting.
Anyone could tell that Noe was praising a child just now.
"Hans has always been very considerate of me. He was exaggerating."
Lanqi just pursed his lips briefly and interrupted the butler before he could finish speaking.
It would be best if Noe didn't see the portrait of Talia that hung in his bedroom.
Otherwise, if Noe happened to meet Talia in town, there might be some ridiculous misunderstanding.
“I see.”
Noe didn't take it seriously when he heard it.
The only thing that surprised Noe was Lanci's humility.
Normally, Lanci should have seized this opportunity to brag about his own talents in order to seek investment.
After hearing what Lanqi said, the butler had no intention of saying anything more.
He retreated behind Noe with a half-smile.
"Well, I hope you can pass the Alchemy Academy exam smoothly. Hans..."
Noe said some polite words of encouragement to Lanqi with a sigh, and then instructed butler Hans to provide Lanqi with the money he needed.
It was out of consideration for the old butler and Lanqi's good attitude today that Noe agreed to Lanqi's request so readily.
Anyway, it's enough money to give to this stupid son.
I hope he can grow up soon. May the goddess bless him.
What a great thing it would be if he was not pretending today, but was really so calm, steady, humble and polite.
…
As the night deepened, the wall lamps in the spacious corridors on the second floor of the mansion glowed faintly, immersing the entire mansion in tranquility and peace.
Most of the servants in the mansion had finished their work for the day and went to rest.
Of course, there were also servants who had not yet left work.
As soon as Lanqi opened the door of the study, he found the maid waiting outside.
The considerate maid named Francine who was not as afraid of her as the other servants.
Lanqi found that it seemed that she and the housekeeper were the only ones in the mansion who were willing to take her seriously.
After a polite greeting.
"Master, are you sure you are not fooling me?"
Francine followed Lanqi out of the study with some concern and asked quietly beside him.
She heard the conversation in the study just now and knew very well how Lanqi spent his time every day before.
The entrance examination to the Alchemy Academy includes written examinations on many subjects, including Kingdom Arithmetic, Pharmacy, Material Processing, Basics of Magic Engineering, Principles of Alchemy, etc.
Even if Lanqi spent money to hire the best teacher and started learning hard, it would be too late.
"It's just an entrance exam."
Lanqi chuckled and closed his eyes. His calm expression seemed to show that he didn't care about the difficulty of the exam at all, and he had no intention of stepping up his review.
"Well… "
Seeing this, Francine even suspected that Lanqi had really given up from now on and was experiencing the last carnival.
But she also knew that even if Lanqi failed to enter school, he would not go home to be scolded or end up hiding under a quilt on the streets of the royal capital.
Young Master can work flexibly in the capital.
You can definitely make a lot of money just by selling paintings.
"Don't worry, I'll study the exam rules tonight."
Lanqi sensed the maid's worry, smiled, and added with certainty, his eyes as clear as when he was facing the code.
"That's good… "
"Hmm? Test rules?"
Francine was shocked.
She always felt that there was something else behind Lanqi's words.
Although it is definitely a good habit to read the precautions carefully before taking the exam...
But what is there to study about the Alchemy Academy's entrance examination rules
Soon, after saying goodbye, Lanqi quickened his pace and walked towards the bedroom, leaving the maid with a confused and tangled face in the corridor.
…
Go back to the bedroom and close the door.
Lanqi found the admission reference book of Ikerit Academy from the bookshelf.
He came to the desk, pulled out a chair and sat down leisurely, slowly picked up the pen, stared at the book in his hand, and planned the schedule for the next three months.
He was serious about the admission.
He did promise his father that he would be admitted successfully.
But he didn't say which branch he would enroll in.
"Although I don't like fighting in my life, I am good at resolving fights... But if I really have to fight, I don't think I will lose if I am prepared."
Lanqi muttered to himself as he flipped through the Ikerita Academy brochure.
This academy includes the Alchemy College and the Magic Engineering College, which focus on theoretical research and backup support and have difficult to speed through exams.
Of course, there are also the Sages' College and the Knights' College, which focus more on direct combat and tactical application.
Lanqi's method is simple.
That is, roundabout admission.
When the time comes, he can just change the college he applies to from the Alchemy College to one of its other branches.
Although the examination points of the two French cavalry academies, which focus on actual combat, are quite different, the main purpose of the examinations over the years has always been the examinees' adaptability, character and mentality, and actual combat capabilities.
This is also closely related to the most difficult dungeon in this world, "Shadow World".
The next three months.
As long as he can successfully create some key magic cards with "Lanqi characteristics", he can then buy a few magic cards that can be found on the market to form a combination.
It’s not that Lanqi is incapable of performing a move that would make all the college leaders’ eyes go dark!