Chapter 2: Harpist Academy (1)
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In the early morning, Lin Nan slowly woke up to the crisp chirping of birds.
Not a bad sleep, all things considered.
She rubbed her eyes, got up, and started tidying up.
Before she knew it, she had completely adapted to the daily routine of a woman, which included proper skincare.
In the past, she preferred to go without makeup, having once been a man who thought splashing some water on his face in the morning was enough to complete the “task.” But now, she stood in front of the sink diligently following a regimen to freshen up her face—it was quite the progress!
Although her body and memories were inextricably linked to Frost North Snow—the ancient creature who had lived for nearly millennia—her current body was reconstituted by the East Sea Underground Palace after a bit of a misunderstanding with the Great Palace Master of the Flowerless Palace.
In other words, she now had a completely different body, a brand-new Frost North Snow.
While handling her face and the random thoughts popping into her mind, Lin Nan took a deep breath. In the copper mirror, she still looked as noble and beautiful as she remembered.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Coming!”
Lin Nan opened the door, and there was Trissa, now in an empire-style corseted dress that accentuated her graceful figure even more.
With a sense of admiration, Lin Nan sincerely said, “Trissa, you look absolutely stunning today.”
“Thank you, Lord Lin. I, a mere willow, wouldn’t dare compare myself to someone like you,” Trissa replied with a curtsy.
“Don’t be so modest!” Lin Nan laughed. “This isn’t the Trissa I know.”
Trissa’s heart finally eased.
Phew… Lord Lin was still the same Lord Lin, unaffected by yesterday’s miraculous display of power.
As someone who was, in a sense, even nobler than the emperor, Lord Lin’s down-to-earth demeanor felt refreshing.
“Lord Lin, today happens to be the Harpist Academy’s graduation assessment competition, open to the public. Would you like to check it out?”
At that moment, Lin Nan remembered that she had borrowed the identity of a harpist when she first met Trissa.
“Of course! As an… aficionado of music, how could I possibly miss such a grand event?”
Since it was open to the public, there was a chance to rack up some Godhood Value. Even if it was just for the sake of being a spectator, what’s wrong with that?
Plus, it seemed Trissa had deep feelings for the academy, so this trip would also serve to learn about the legacy left by one of the Four Warriors, Harpist Casey.
After breakfast, Lin Nan, Trissa, and Adeline shared a horse-drawn carriage heading to the Harpist Academy located in the north of the city.
Throughout the journey, Lin Nan didn’t catch a glimpse of Monroe—perhaps this busy foreign minister had already been summoned to the throne by the emperor.
As they departed for the academy, Lin Nan occasionally pulled back the curtains to glance outside, quickly absorbing the excitement that surged among the citizens as the historical Harpist Academy opened its doors.
At that moment, whether they were followers of the Church of Light or believers of the Goddess of Destiny, each donned their representative garments and flocked towards the northern town with their families in tow.
Soon, their carriage was reduced to crawling along through the throngs of people.
The driver occasionally shouted loudly to alert those blocking the way.
Unfortunately, the crowd was so dense that the carriage had to inch through, like sending ripples across a calm lake.
As the sun rose, the light gradually became blinding.
Though the early spring wind still had a bit of chill in the air, the three women in the carriage began to feel quite warm amidst the bustling crowd.
While it’s true that the appearance of the Church of Light sparked conflicts among devotees of different deities, today’s event at the Harpist Academy brought them together to put aside their disputes for one common goal—to snag a good spot!
“There are so many people! Oh my goodness! Can the Harpist Academy fit all these folks?” Adeline exclaimed, startled by the throng outside the carriage window.
“It doesn’t seem like it,” Trissa replied. “They’ll likely implement crowd control measures soon.”
Lin Nan understood their behavior perfectly.
In a nation where nearly everyone was religious, people’s beliefs varied widely. With their daily work and religious activities consuming most of their free time, there was little room left for entertainment.
As the Harpist Academy only admitted females and, per Trissa’s earlier explanation, only noble girls had the bloodline to learn harp magic, the scarcity of harpists was evident.
And of course, most were beautiful girls of various charms, drawing everyone’s attentive eyes.
This graduation assessment competition served to showcase the seldom-seen noble girls, presenting their grace to the public, so it was no wonder it attracted so much attention—just a glimpse would suffice!
Additionally, for many noble families, having a daughter with a harpist title significantly boosted her market value in society.
This was undoubtedly an excellent way for small nobles to ally with the wealthy elite.
As for whether they actually needed to fight in battles, well, that would depend on their husbands’ consent later on.
To avoid conscription, many girls chose to marry right after graduation, which made active harpists on the battlefield extremely rare.
While Lin Nan listened to Trissa’s informative explanation, she looked at the luxury carriages already parked in the academy’s front square.
“Those must be nobles looking to pick their future wives at the academy. Heh, when did the Harpist Academy become a marriage agency for nobles?”
Trissa’s voice held a tone of sarcasm and resignation. “If all the harpists painstakingly trained by the nation end up married, who will actually serve the country in times of war? The corrupt nobles or the common soldiers bleeding on the front lines?”
“Why didn’t you get married after graduating?” Lin Nan asked.
“I’m my father’s only child. I must take on my responsibilities. The moment I choose marriage, countless ties would bind me… So I’d like to do more for my family before I settle down,” Trissa explained. “A more important reason is that I want to fight as a harpist. Only through real combat can I understand the true role of a harpist in the army.”
Fortunately, this trip to the Sky Tower allowed me to experience the perks of being a harpist.”
As crowds were held back in the square and let through in batches, the carriage Lin Nan was in breezed through thanks to the Monroe family crest on it and entered the academy through a side gate.
Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a square building.
Trissa was the first to jump down and was about to lift the door flap for Lin Nan when a somewhat mocking voice came from behind.
“Oh, isn’t that Trissa?”
