In another world, Lu Mingfei is learning card making.

"When you get back, don't forget to use your Sorting Card to check the school rules. Finally, I wish all the new students the best of luck in finding their own value at St. Marian College over the next six years!"

The opening banquet ended amidst cheers from the students.

Unlike Dumbledore in Harry Potter, the headmaster didn't offer any plot hints, which puzzled Lu Mingfei slightly. However, he couldn't very well go up to the stage to ask, "Is there a fourth-floor corridor in the school that no one who doesn't want to die a horrible death should ever go to?" So, he followed the flow of people from the college back to his dormitory.

After passing through two hidden doors concealed behind curtains, navigating two turns, and climbing three flights of stairs, they arrived at the entrance to the Knights' College dormitory. Led by the prefect—a stern, impeccably made-up, red-haired fifth-year girl—the Knights' College students, holding their Sorting Cards aloft like an army under inspection, passed through the archway at the dormitory entrance.

Lu Mingfei's expression was not good. He was beginning to regret accepting Rong En's suggestion and swallowing a lethal dose of maple syrup.

When the incredibly sweet syrup exploded in his mouth, it was too late to find water. The overwhelming sweetness irritated Lu Mingfei's palate, almost turning it into a bitter taste, causing him to nearly spit out the maple syrup on the spot.

Well, thanks to his long-standing education on treasuring food, Lu Mingfei decided not to spit it out, but to swallow it.

But swallowing the maple syrup was just the beginning of the torment—the sweetness slid down his throat, making Lu Mingfei feel as if his stomach and esophagus had grown taste buds, savoring the sweetness.

After digestion, the sweetness is converted into sugar, forming another part of the torment:

Lu Mingfei was feeling drowsy at that moment.

He had always thought the term "carbose fainting" was just a joke, but who knew that when he actually took a big gulp of maple syrup, it could really make him faint from sugar?

Lu Mingfei strode forward, feeling as if his body was about to fall apart—he didn't even have the time to look at the Knights' Academy's circular common room and the most conspicuous fireplace, he just ran to his own room, collapsed on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Unlike Hogwarts in Harry Potter, this "otherworldly Tsinghua and Peking University" offers excellent student benefits: each student has a single apartment and a private work desk, which is more spacious than the two-bedroom apartment in the old neighborhood that my aunt and uncle live in.

Despite the comfortable new environment, Lu Mingfei didn't wake up naturally the next day—not because of nightmares or discomfort in the bed, but because Rong En got up early to do his morning exercise and woke him up to do it too.

"So we really have to do this morning exercise?" Barely keeping up with Rong En's pace, Lu Mingfei controlled his breathing to avoid getting a stitch while speaking. "Running around the track...is there some other purpose to it?"

"No." Rong En turned his head away. Compared to Lu Mingfei's breathlessness, he was much more composed, even considering running backwards to speak directly to Lu Mingfei.

"Running like this is actually to get your body used to the feeling of being active, to activate every part of your body in advance, so that you won't get injured in the following training."

"I've looked at the schedule beforehand. We don't have a class in the first period of the morning, and the summoning class is in the second period, so we can train for three hours in the morning—"

"It's alright, the school cafeteria provides food indefinitely. Except for the hot black tea that has to be brewed, you can get everything else at the cafeteria."

"Quick, quick, run! Don't stop!"

Lu Mingfei mustered his strength, let out a long roar, and made his final sprint.

……

St. Mary's College has four main courses, all of which revolve around cards.

The course, "Magical Theory," teaches card making, drawing transmutation circles, and identifying the properties of materials. The instructor is Asvyi Inclair.

The "Duel Class," which teaches gladiator combat, improves physical fitness, and helps students identify card characteristics, is taught by Liss El.

The "Summoning Class" teaches how to summon, use magic cards, and reduce magic consumption. The instructor is Sarah Venus.

The course, which teaches the "theology" of rituals and the creation of higher-level cards through the power of superiors, is taught by Rhine Laplace.

Lu Mingfei hid in the back row, preparing to quickly finish his Yorkshire pudding a few seconds before class started, but as soon as he took his first bite, Rong En snatched the whole pudding away.

"Don't wolf down your food." Rong En broke off a small piece and handed it to Lu Mingfei. "If you wolf down your food after exercising, you'll easily get a stomachache. You have to rest first before eating again."

"So eat a few small bites first, and wait until you stop sweating before eating big bites."

Yorkshire pudding, though called a pudding, is more like bread and is usually eaten as a dip in steak gravy.

Lu Mingfei lay on the table, sipping the small piece of food in his mouth—which was now more like chyme, because it had been soaking and stirring in his mouth for so long that even the original wheat aroma of the bread had almost disappeared.

He was puzzled by only one thing: why hadn't Rong En given him the next piece yet?

Lu Mingfei turned his head and saw Rong En sitting upright, looking like a good student; when he looked at the podium, he saw a petite 'girl' with her head peeking out from under a book.

Sarah Venus, the head of the Knights Academy, a fairy, and a summoning instructor—Lu Mingfei couldn't help but wonder, when did she walk in? Why didn't anyone notice?

Or did she simply never go out?

"Hello, everyone." Sarah's voice was amplified by magic, becoming somewhat distorted—of course, with her magical skills as a teacher, she could easily restore her voice without distortion, but through long-term teaching practice, she discovered that this distorted voice was actually more beneficial for education:

"Today is the first Summoning class. We won't start with the lesson yet; we'll talk about the school rules first—I believe most of you haven't studied the Sorting Cards properly."

Others may not know, but Lu Mingfei knows himself: he fell asleep as soon as he got into bed last night, and today he was trained by Rong En for half the morning, and he only ate two bites of breakfast. He really didn't have time to study the branch card.

Therefore, Lu Mingfei sat up straight, waiting for her long speech.

A class at St. Mary's College lasts ninety minutes. The first class starts at eight o'clock in the morning, with a half-hour break between classes, and the second class ends at 11:30 in the morning. In the afternoon, there is only one class, starting at two o'clock.

Sarah Venus only briefly mentioned this part, incidentally explaining how to view the class schedule on the Sorting Card. The important part is what follows:

The school uses a credit system and, like Hogwarts, has a House Cup—not just a simple honor, but a real Holy Grail!

The "Marianne Grail" is said to be a magical artifact that has existed since the founding of the academy. Because it has the power to grant wishes, it is also known as the "Wishing Grail".

Of the four colleges, the college with the highest credits wins the College Cup, which grants all students from year one through year six of that college a chance to make a wish.

The inscription on the wishing cup reads: "The greedy will have nothing."