As Fernandi stepped into Hexia's home, his gaze swept around, and without close observation, one could quickly discern that the financial situation of the household was not ideal.
Upon entering the corridor after the main door, an old motorcycle with four jet nozzles stood. Its thick, wide tires flanked the ability to levitate and take flight, a quality that made it exceptionally loved by many for its ability to transport people quickly and its extra agility due to its small size.
However, looking at the dust settled on the motorcycle's surface and its worn, outdated casing, it seemed the motorcycle could be older than Hexia herself.
"That was bought by dad. He used to ride it to work, but it broke down later and has been left there ever since," the girl explained upon seeing Fernandi's interest in the motorcycle, assuming he was also an enthusiast.
"The 'Crossbow-Y2' is indeed very old, but it's also a classic model," Fernandi reminisced about his own youthful days. Although he no longer paid attention to many of the newer models, he could recognize the old ones at first sight.
After a brief exchange, they walked into the house. Hexia first took off her little leather shoes, switched into cool flip-flops, the toes wrapped in white socks tapped lightly across the hall, squatted in front of a side cabinet to find a pair of oversized flip-flops for temporary use, and then handed them out for Fernandi to use.
Once he was seated, she continued to warm up the tea, then sat down on a bamboo mat sofa not far across from him.
The ceiling light in the living room cast a bright yellow glow with a hint of warmth, making the interior look less bleak. Although the room was roughly clean, thin layers of dust had accumulated in the corners.
Being busy with her studies, the girl didn't have much time to take care of the house, and since domestic robots were too expensive, it stayed that way.
After all, she didn't often have visitors, so she decided to save some energy and time. That's how Hexia reasoned with herself, but today was an exception.
Fernandi wasn't surprised by such an environment; even though he now worked at Edith Academy, he too had faced economic hardships in his youth and knew ordinary people couldn't devote a lot of energy to maintaining so-called 'cleanliness and order'.
After taking a sip of tea, he continued speaking to the gray-haired girl sitting opposite him.
"I'm very sorry for contacting Hexia so late, but there were indeed some issues that caused a delay," he began with an apology.
"If I had given notice earlier, Hexia might not have faced such difficulty." He began by apologizing.
"But choosing an academy is, after all, an important life decision, and I would like to introduce the advantages of Edith Academy in detail, then let Hexia make her own decision."
"Um, thank you for your consideration." At this moment, Hexia was keen to find out what conditions Edith Academy would offer. Did they truly value her that much? After all, there was no familiarity between them, and she had only revealed a part of her Talent.
In the Federation, nearly everyone practiced the Transcendent Sequence, but about 60% of people would remain at Sequence 2, 37% at Sequence 3, and the proportion reaching Sequence 4 was no more than 3%. Among those Transcendents at Sequence 4, it would take about 50 people for one to advance to Sequence 5, with even fewer reaching beyond that.
Although all were Transcendents, a minority had special Talents that made them particularly adept in certain areas, achieving effects that others could only dream of, either twice as effective or a hundred times more so.
"Additionally, although the terms you offer are very tempting to me, I did participate in the re-examination at Yuanting Academy after all. To reject it without good reason is quite difficult." Before she left, Vitelina had said many things to her and even given her a commemorative gift. Although these were minor things, abandoning the other party like this didn't feel right; the least she could do was to communicate with Yuanting Academy first.
"Is that so..." Hearing Hexia's refusal, Fernandi fell silent for a moment.
He knew that it wasn't a matter of how generous the offer was; he was confident that Yuanting Academy couldn't match his offer, but Hexia still refused, indicating she did not approve of such impetuous breach of agreement.
Should he call it naivety, or does she have her own thoughts and beliefs? Fernandi thought to himself, marveling at her ability to resist such a temptation.
Perhaps it was a form of strength, a certainty about her own future, believing that she could gradually achieve success even without relying on these advantages.
"If it's about Yuanting Academy, I can help you communicate with them. The high schools under the Jade Skirt are quite familiar with each other, and I also know a few teachers at Yuanting Academy."
"In that case..." Hexia pondered and, finding no reason to object, she nodded.
"Then I'll take my leave for today, we'll contact Hexia again in a few days after we've communicated with Yuanting Academy."
"If you have any questions or matters in the meantime, you can call me. Also, if you encounter any troubles in life, don't hesitate to tell us. Hexia might not understand, but within the Jade Skirt, there is very little Edith Academy cannot do." He stood up, adjusted his clothes slightly, and confidently bid farewell to the young girl.
"Thank you, Mr. Fernandi, for your kindness," Hexia said, also standing to see him off.
After Fernandi left the house and was out of sight, Hexia closed the door again, then returned to her bedroom and once more sifted through some items she had kept at the bottom of a box. There was a Memory Card that held photos and videos of Temisia from her days at the school.
South First District, what a nostalgic name...
At that year's Winter Festival evening party, Temisia shone like a blooming meteor on the field and stage, remaining an idol in her heart even after many years.
Now she was about to embark on the same path. If she could be half as brilliant as her sister, she would be more than satisfied. This was not due to a lack of confidence but because she was a different existence than Temisia. She did not long for that kind of radiance as there were many more things waiting for her in life.
Whether it was making friends, raising small animals, sleeping soundly at home, or sitting by the window engrossed in a book, penning her innermost thoughts and diary, these were the things she cherished more.
Not all strength is displayed through force, and steadfastly maintaining so-called peace also requires a strong spirit and strength.
This was her path.
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