Chapter 32: Can You Teach Me Magic?

Library.

A moment later, Xia Mingyu returned with a book tucked under his right arm.

"Miss Elise, may I borrow your hammock?" he asked.

He was joking; he had no intention of standing to read. That would truly feel like reliving his high school days, reciting farewells in a classroom.

"…It would be my honor."

Though she was not particularly pleased, Elise agreed with a display of utmost respect.

Lying back in the comfortable hammock woven from vines and soft silk, Xia Mingyu stretched contentedly. He then rested his head on the velvet pillow and began to pore over the book with rapt attention.

Having had her bed usurped, Elise could only stand by the side, looking somewhat aggrieved. She wanted to return to her bedroom to catch up on sleep, but felt that leaving without permission would be disrespectful to Prince Mingyu. Thus, she stood by the hammock like a servant, waiting for his instructions.

"The Creation Myth…" She snuck a glance at the book in Xia Mingyu's hands, a flicker of surprise passing through her flawless, ruby-like eyes.

Wasn't this a children's book that every noble was required to read in their childhood?

*Could Prince Mingyu be feeling nostalgic for his youth?* Elise mused to herself.

Xia Mingyu did not notice her subtle gaze; his entire being was immersed in the pages before him.

…

In the boundless void, a towering, supreme existence suddenly chose to stop.

Whether out of loneliness or mere interest—no one knew the reason—this great being began a process of self-sacrifice.

Their skin transformed into iridescent crystal walls, shielding against the torrential currents of the void and countless prying eyes.

Their left eye became the sun, radiating infinite light and heat, giving birth to the God of Sun and Justice.

Their right eye became the bright moon, blooming with cool radiance, giving birth to the God of Moonlight and Love.

Their left hand became the flowing wind of the world, giving birth to the God of Storms and Hunting.

Their right hand became the lightning flashing within the clouds, giving birth to the God of Thunder and Judgment.

Their feet became the vast earth, giving birth to the God of Earth and Life.

Their blood became the boundless ocean, giving birth to the God of the Deep Sea and Frozen Lands.

Their dreams became the starting point of life, giving birth to the God of Night and Sweet Dreams.

…

After the Creator sacrificed themselves and the gods were born, the world became complete. Following this, with the evolution of life, humanity, elves, dragons, beast-kin, and countless other races appeared one after another upon the stage of history.

"Truly incredible!"

Closing the book, Xia Mingyu felt his heart racing.

"Is all of this true?" he asked Elise, who was standing obediently by his side.

At this, Elise was startled.

"Your Highness, questioning the myths is grounds for judgment by the Church. Please, watch your words… though, given your noble status, I suppose you are above such restrictions."

Elise was about to offer a warning, but catching sight of the text floating above Xia Mingyu’s head, her tone shifted instantly.

It was no joke—he was the heir to a kingdom of 1.4 billion people. Let alone questioning myths, even cursing the Pope to his face would likely not lead to any serious consequences.

After all, that number was terrifying. Unless a deity arrived in person, this Prince’s status was enough to tower over anyone else.

"It seems the Church holds a very lofty position in this fantasy world," Xia Mingyu remarked thoughtfully, observing Elise’s reaction.

Setting myths aside for a moment, the next thing he needed to look into was the world's classification system for professions and status blessings.

"Elise, could you get me the books regarding blessings?"

"My honor, Your Highness," Elise replied, instinctively standing straight.

It was the first time she had been treated like a servant, and the feeling was… quite strange.

A moment later, from the dozen or so books Elise brought, Xia Mingyu selected *Understanding Blessings*. He opened the pages and fell into reading once more.

…

So-called "Blessings" were the heavens' generosity toward all sentient beings.

They were divided into two types: Status Blessings and Professional Blessings, though the advancement levels were the same.

They were, in order: Mortal Rank, Extraordinary Rank, Morning Star Rank, New Moon Rank, Crescent Moon Rank, Bright Moon Rank, Solar Wheel Rank, and Eternal Sun Rank.

The corresponding colors were white, emerald green, purple, blue, ice blue, silver, red, and gold.

Status Blessings were innate, while Professional Blessings were a summary of one's past life.

Regardless of status or profession, fame and great deeds were the primary tools for advancement.

True powerhouses could never remain unknown.

"Fame and great deeds…" Xia Mingyu paused as he read this.

He realized that the advancement system of this world was not quite what he had imagined.

It wasn't like the cultivation systems in the *xianxia* novels from Blue Star, where one buried themselves in diligent, solitary training; it was more like the advancement system from a certain dungeon-themed Japanese light novel.

He began to understand why the people of this world valued status so highly and why such a rigid class hierarchy had emerged.

After all, how could ordinary people find ways to gain fame or accomplish great deeds? Nobles, on the other hand, could easily gain fame through all sorts of mutual sycophancy.

Or rather, for a noble like a lord who held the lives of countless people in their territory, their mere existence was a form of fame.

Perhaps this was why noble blessings brought various benefits, while commoner blessings only helped one endure hunger better.

Xia Mingyu pondered.

"Elise, could you hand me that book, *The Compendium of Blessings*?"

A moment later, he took the book from the girl and continued flipping through it.

Merchant, Lying Merchant, Wealthy Merchant…

Knight Apprentice, Knight, Grand Knight…

Magic Apprentice, Magician, Mage…

Hunter, Tracker, Master Hunter…

…

(The above represent only mainstream advancements. Because a profession is a summary of one's past life, many variant professions arise. For example, a rare, honest, and trustworthy merchant might advance to an Honorable Merchant; a knight who tames a dragon might advance to a Dragon Knight… Furthermore, professions can advance across sequences, such as a Magic Apprentice advancing to a Knight, but the difficulty is extremely high and not recommended. An Extraordinary should stay the course.)

Closing the book, Xia Mingyu let out a long sigh.

Only now did he feel he had a clear understanding of this world.

He also felt a sense of relief; because professions could advance across sequences, it meant that even if his base profession was "University Student," he could cross over to become a Mage…

At this thought, a spark of excitement flashed in his eyes.

Since he had already transmigrated to a fantasy world, who didn't have a dream of becoming a master of magic?

Summoning storms and thunder with a wave of his hand—that would be incredibly cool!

"Elise, do you have any understanding of magic?"

Seeing the silver-haired girl beside him, whose face had turned slightly pale from standing for so long, Xia Mingyu felt a bit awkward as he lounged comfortably in the hammock. He suddenly realized he was being too self-indulgent.

*Sigh, what a sin. The corruption of privilege comes all too quickly…*

"Your Highness, I am a magic… a Magician," the girl said softly.

Next to the white "Noble" text above her head, a new line of emerald green text appeared—"Magician."

"Miss Elise, could you teach me how to learn magic?"

"My honor, Your Highness," the girl said, bowing slightly.