The two of them met by chance in the southern province more than a month before the start of school. Afterwards, they traveled north together to the Free City, spending a long journey on the road and forging a deep friendship along the way.

Kelly knew better than anyone that the boy in front of her, who seemed to have no talent at all, was anything but simple. During that journey north, Kelly had witnessed too many surprises, so even though she didn’t understand why William Carter couldn’t even complete the Awakening Dream stage, the girl never looked down on him because of it.

In fact, seeing Henry, Emily Thompson and the others so eager, Kelly really thought it was foolish... Although they didn’t know as many of William Carter’s secrets as she did, he was personally admitted by the dean’s special approval—a rare exception that might not happen even once in ten years.

And this once-in-a-decade exception was now sitting behind a wooden table, leisurely wiping the tabletop with a towel, and said with his head down:

“Thanks for helping me out just now, otherwise Jack Smith’s drool would have turned into a tidal wave…”

Kelly said, “Don’t pay attention to that idiot. Just stay here and relax—no one can drive you away.”

William Carter put down the towel and looked up with a familiar smile: “Of course! Listening to Jack Smith brag over there—hey, I was specially admitted by the old dean himself! Now there are all sorts of rumors in the academy that I’m the old man’s illegitimate son. Let’s see who dares mess with me!”

“…It’s strange, though. The dean’s special approval is indeed unusual, but the dean is so highly respected at the academy. Who would have the guts to spread rumors and slander him?”

William Carter pointed at himself, looking proud.

“Damn…” Kelly blurted out, completely unladylike.

William Carter shrugged: “Anyway, as long as the old man doesn’t jump out of the tower to deny it, who can refute the rumor? My real parents have been dead for ten thousand years—I don’t even know what they looked like. The only master who knew my background kicked the bucket two months ago, so isn’t everything up to me now?”

“……”

Kelly let out a long sigh, not knowing what to say, so she dropped the topic. She reached into the inner pocket of her academy-issued robe and took out a wooden box.

“Want to play a game with me?”

William Carter put down his book, eager to try: “Sure!”

The two of them opened the wooden box, took out a slightly worn, folded chessboard, and spread it flat. Then each took five pieces and set them up on opposite sides. On the board, each side’s base was connected by three lanes, each lane guarded by three defense towers. The goal of the game was to maneuver your pieces to break through the opponent’s defenses and strike at their base. Unlike ordinary chess games, this one was invented by Dreamweavers and contained incredible dreamlike powers. The board and pieces seemed to have lives of their own, able to perform highly detailed, fantastical displays under the players’ control.

The five pieces clashed fiercely along three lanes, requiring the players’ full concentration to control them perfectly. However, both were masters of the game and handled it with ease. As Kelly skillfully maneuvered her pieces, she spoke up.

“Honestly, I still can’t believe our old dean actually came down from his tower just for you, and specially approved your admission… What exactly attracted him to you?”

Kelly looked curiously at William Carter, trying to find something extraordinary in his delicate features.

But William Carter just shrugged indifferently: “Who knows? I was just asked to deliver a bracelet. After the old man took the bracelet, he made a big fuss and insisted on admitting me… At first, I thought someone as awesome as me didn’t need to study anymore, but the old man’s offer was too tempting—free tuition, buffet meals, a big bedroom… I couldn’t resist and ended up here…”

Kelly scolded, “Don’t act all coy after getting such a good deal! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get into Yangcheng Academy?” William Carter nodded, “Of course I do! That’s why I asked the old man if I could sell the spot, but he refused!”

“……”

Kelly felt that if she didn’t change the subject, she’d die of anger.

“That bracelet you delivered—what’s so special about it?”

William Carter scratched his head: “Who knows? The person gave me the bracelet and told me to deliver it to Yangcheng Academy in the Free City. Not long after, he mysteriously turned into light and vanished without a trace—I didn’t even have time to ask for details. Since he shoved a bunch of money at me before he died, I couldn’t refuse to help, so I headed north to deliver it, and met you on the way… I guess the bracelet was a token of love the old dean left by Daming Lake when he was young? Whatever, I’ve got food and a place to stay now, and I get to play chess with you every day. Life is so carefree—why should I care about some lousy bracelet?”

“…How do you have such ridiculous luck!?”

This wasn’t the first time Kelly had heard about William Carter’s experiences, but every time she did, she felt even more envious, jealous, and resentful.