As soon as Theodore spoke, Luo Wei knew trouble was brewing.

Sure enough, his father was also supposedly on his deathbed.

At least she had only mentioned going back for a final visit, leaving things somewhat vague. Perhaps she could use the excuse of her "suddenly ill father" again in the future.

But Theodore brazenly declared he needed to attend a burial. His father had merely broken his leg, yet he was ready to put him six feet under - this guy was even more audacious than her.

After hearing everyone's excuses, ironically, Gladys's most far-fetched reason ended up sounding the most plausible.

Looking at Headmaster Morrison's face, which was practically turning into a painter's palette, this must be the first time in his long educational career that he had encountered so many shameless students at once.

"Laura, Theodore..." the headmaster pulled out another register from his drawer and leafed through it.

"Laura, Intermediate Magic Apprentice, your enrollment records do indicate you have a grandmother in poor health."

"Yes, Headmaster," Laura clasped her hands tightly. "My grandmother is elderly and often falls ill. She's very sick this time, and she's my only living relative. I wish to go back to see her."

"That's understandable," the headmaster sighed. "Your leave is approved. How many days do you need?"

At these words, the others immediately turned to Laura with envious looks, their eyes betraying varying degrees of regret and self-reproach.

If only they had filled out their enrollment forms properly and listed a few ailing relatives!

Under everyone's jealous gazes, Laura exclaimed delightedly, "Three days will be enough, Headmaster."

The headmaster glanced at her records again and nodded, "Very well. Remember to report back to me in three days upon your return."

"Yes, thank you, Headmaster!" Laura bowed gratefully.

"Take your eggs back. I don't accept gifts from students."

Laura lowered her head bashfully, "These... these are just for you, please don't refuse..."

Before she could finish, several chirping sounds emerged from the basket on the desk.

Everyone's eyes focused on the basket of eggs, gradually widening in disbelief.

"Peep peep..."

Accompanied by crackling sounds, baby chicks inside the eggs pecked through their shells. Their tender yellow bodies emerged, with wet feathers clinging to their pink flesh in tufts.

The newly hatched chicks had bright black eyes, and their soft bodies couldn't yet stand. They opened and closed their pink beaks in the air, making crisp, innocent chirping sounds.

Seven or eight such chicks hatched all at once.

The solemn headmaster's office was suddenly transformed into a makeshift chicken farm, filled with the insecure chirping of baby chicks.

Luo Wei glanced at Laura's disheveled hair and figured out the truth.

These eggs must have been snatched from the hen's nest right after class.

Laura was so mortified she was on the verge of tears. Headmaster Morrison covered his forehead and said, "Laura, please take your chicks away."

"I'm so sorry, Headmaster!" Laura bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and hurriedly gathered up the basket.

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Headmaster Morrison added concernedly, "Laura, you cannot raise chickens in the academy, understood?"

"Yes!" Laura nervously clutched the basket, nodding repeatedly. "I won't raise them, I won't. I'll eat- I mean, give them away as soon as I get back!"

Her face turned crimson after speaking. She bowed once more to Headmaster Morrison before hastily retreating from the office with her baby chicks.

Headmaster Morrison shook his head and, still feeling uneasy, pulled out a blank parchment and wrote with a quill.

[New School Rule: Students are prohibited from raising chickens in the academy]

The pen paused, then added another line.

[Note: This applies to all poultry and livestock]

After finishing, Headmaster Morrison dried the ink and looked up with satisfaction, ready to deal with the remaining troublemakers in his office.

"Theodore, Intermediate Spell Apprentice, according to your enrollment records, you're from the Black Reef Coast at the southernmost tip of the Western Continent, and you're an orphan. Where did this father come from?"

Theodore answered without missing a beat, "Those records are from a year ago. I've already reunited with my long-lost father."

Headmaster Morrison slammed the register shut with a "bang" and glared at them, "You four, lying to get leave is serious misconduct. Your punishment is to organize books in the library attic. Go now, and don't leave until it's finished!"

The four were unceremoniously expelled from the headmaster's office.

They never expected to not only fail at getting leave but also end up being punished.

Luo Wei asked Gladys quietly, "Do we really have to go?"

Gladys frowned, "If we don't, they'll notify our parents."

Theodore added, "And deduct points, with a school-wide criticism notice."

Hol Felix said, "Actually, organizing books isn't so bad, at least it's cleaner than cleaning the stables."

...Well, fine.

The four trudged dejectedly toward the library.

On the way, Luo Wei asked Gladys, "Have you dealt with Headmaster Morrison before?"

From the headmaster's tone, he seemed quite familiar with Gladys.

"Three times."

Gladys said indignantly, "He refused every time."

Luo Wei asked curiously, "Refused what?"

"I wanted to move out of the dormitory, but he wouldn't allow it."

Well... she also wanted to move out, but school rules strictly required students to live on campus.

"I wanted to replace my horse with a white bear, he wouldn't allow that either!"

Luo Wei: ...That's rather absurd.

In horsemanship class, if you rode a white bear, what if it decided to make a meal of someone else's horse?

"The third time, I said I wanted to transfer schools."

"He didn't agree to that either?"

Gladys shook her head, growing more agitated, "He said no other academy would want me."

"Uh." Luo Wei was rarely at a loss for words.

Two hours later, the four sat panting on the floor of the library attic, their arms too sore to lift, breathing in mouthfuls of dust with every breath.

"I take back what I said," Hol collapsed onto a pile of books, his eyes devoid of life, "This isn't cleaner than the stables."

The library attic was piled with mountains of old books that the academy had collected but hadn't yet sorted and classified.

Most were vellum volumes, with a small portion being papyrus stored in copper boxes, though the boxes weren't properly sealed, and mice had left piles of droppings inside.

The attic was dark and gloomy, with finger-thick dust covering the floor, and cobwebs hanging everywhere. When they first entered, it was like walking into a spider's lair.

"This must not have been cleaned for over a decade, I'm exhausted!" Theodore hugged a broom so covered in cobwebs its original appearance was unrecognizable, and collapsed alongside Hol.

Gladys sat leaning against a neatly stacked pile of copper boxes, her gaze beginning to blur.

After resting enough, Luo Wei supported herself on a shelf to stand up, "We've already finished half. Let's all work hard and try to finish before dark."

She picked up a cloth and continued wiping dust off the books, placing them one by one into the bookshelf against the wall.

Seeing her actions, Theodore suddenly spoke up with a sneer, "I forgot to ask, what was your reason for wanting leave, oh noble young lady?"

Luo Wei detected a hint of hostility in Theodore's words. She put the book she was holding into the shelf and turned around, "The same as yours, senior. My father is ill."

Theodore showed a mocking smile, "Then it seems we've dragged you down with us, making a delicate noble lady like you suffer punishment alongside people like us."