Chapter 43: Fulin’s Revelations

Fulin’s attire had hardly ever changed.

Her dark, thick robes, paired with an equally broad witch’s hat, always imbued her with an aura of mystery and sagacity.

The fashion sense in this world was surprisingly avant-garde; black and white stockings, for instance, were a common sight on the streets.

Yet, it was only these older generation artists, unafraid of fleeting trends and steadfast in their traditions, who truly allowed Yalin to grasp that this was, indeed, a fantastical world of swords and magic.

“It’s been a while, Yalin. Isn’t Wendy inside?”

Fulin tugged her hat brim lower, a faint smile gracing the face hidden beneath.

“Professor just stepped out. She probably won’t be back for a while… Are you looking for her for something important?”

“Nothing in particular, I merely dropped by. You wouldn’t mind if I came in for a quick look, would you?”

“Oh… of course not.”

Yalin pulled the door open, stepping aside to make way.

It was preposterous to even consider refusing; this was the Vice Dean of the Alchemy Division. What could he possibly do, even if he did mind?

He certainly couldn’t bar her from entering, could he?

“Thank you.”

Fulin gave a slight nod, then gracefully stepped into the laboratory.

Her steps were always impeccably elegant, her skirt swaying gently, as if she were floating on air.

Extending a finger, Fulin wiped it across a cabinet, then smiled conspiratorially at Yalin.

“Excellent, it’s truly spotless. It seems you’ve been diligently cleaning this place.”

“Oh no, not at all. Professor Wen usually handles the cleaning; I merely lend a small hand…”

“Hahaha, Yalin, there’s no need to be so modest. Wendy is a child I watched grow up, so I’m quite familiar with her personality.”

Fulin chuckled, her smile possessing a peculiar magic that made one feel instantly at ease, even causing them to momentarily forget the disparity in their statuses.

She turned, her gaze shifting with keen interest to the experimental workbench laden with various instruments.

“Speaking of which, Yalin, do you usually submit an application when you use these pieces of equipment?”

“I…”

Yalin was momentarily speechless.

As expected of a professor with decades of experience, she noticed it at a glance!

Though he had meticulously scrubbed away all traces of his usage, he couldn’t possibly hide it from Fulin’s discerning eyes.

“I apologize. I used these instruments without permission, and I am willing to accept any penalty.”

Yalin lowered his head, honestly admitting his transgression.

While Wendy had verbally confirmed that there was no need to submit those troublesome application forms to use the instruments, she likely never imagined that the Vice Dean would choose to visit this neglected laboratory precisely when she was out.

Naturally, Yalin would never expose her.

After all, she was his long-term meal ticket, his benefactor; not to mention, she had just thoroughly shelled out for him.

Yalin, as a person, had no other way to repay her than to take the blame himself.

“Don’t worry, I’m not that stubborn old dean; I won’t punish you for such a minor matter.”

Fulin said, shaking her head, then abruptly changed the subject.

“However, it’s clear that Wendy trusts you quite a bit, isn’t it?”

She affectionately patted Yalin’s shoulder, winking meaningfully, much like a gossipy older sister from next door.

“Come to think of it, you’re quite an honest person. You’re making me feel a little embarrassed, especially since I just tricked you when I first came in, didn’t I?”

‘Tricked me?’

“That’s right, tricked you.”

Fulin pointed a finger at Yalin, saying with a cheerful grin, “Actually, I didn’t just ‘drop by’; I came specifically to find you.”

‘Looking for me?’

Yalin grew even more perplexed.

Aside from the time he transferred divisions and needed Fulin’s signature for numerous documents, he couldn’t recall any other interactions between them.

“Hm-hm, didn’t I mention before that I was quite interested in you?” Fulin prompted.

Yalin remembered.

He recalled that Fulin had indeed said something similar to him by the classroom door before their ‘Introduction to Aetheric Fundamentals’ class that day.

At the time, Yalin had simply assumed she was joking.

After all, Fulin possessed a whimsical, mischievous personality, much like an old child; he never expected her to be serious.

Yalin immediately grew wary.

He knew he harbored numerous secrets.

And without exception, they were all super landmines, any one of which, if detonated, would be enough to kill him hundreds of times over.

No matter how amiable Fulin appeared, she was still the Vice Dean of the Alchemy Division, an old fox who had lived for over a hundred years!

Could it be that she had sensed something?

“It is my honor to be recognized by Professor Fulin, but what exactly about me piques your interest, Professor? I don’t believe I possess such remarkable abilities,” Yalin inquired, his expression carefully neutral.

“Oh, it’s nothing much, really. I merely find the surname Ravenster rather familiar.”

Fulin had no intention of keeping him in suspense and stated it directly.

‘Ravenster?’

Yalin paused, slightly startled. Wasn’t that his family’s name?

His family, however, held only a small territory in the Eastern Kingdom, separated from Ailanmia by a vast distance. How could Fulin possibly know of it?

“Could it be that you know my parents?”

Yalin asked, probing.

“Hm-hm, there’s a slight connection. Your mother was one of my former students, after all,” Fulin replied, raising an eyebrow.

‘Is that true?’

Yalin couldn’t help but click his tongue, almost forgetting that the person standing before him was the academy’s renowned Vice Dean.

As for his parents—or rather, the original owner’s parents—Yalin actually had no memory of them.

Since they had passed away before he transmigrated, Yalin could only piece together fragmented images from scattered memories.

His father was a quintessential local noble: diligent and responsible, yet also burdened by a deeply ingrained, old-fashioned rigidity.

As for his mother, she was likely a gentle and kind person; in his memories, she never seemed to have lost her temper.

Beyond that, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly special about her.

Yet, he never expected her to have been Professor Fulin’s student.

This world truly was small.

Oh, speaking of which, the underground library at home did seem to house quite a few grimoires on alchemy, and the original owner had read many of them as a child.

It was no wonder his talent in alchemy was so exceptional.

Yalin’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. Just as he was about to ask more questions, Fulin, as if guessing his thoughts, chuckled and interrupted him.

“Are you very curious? What a pity, though, for I didn’t come to you today to discuss this matter.”

‘Oh, a twist?’

‘So, you talked all this time, and it wasn’t even about that?’

Yalin felt a little dazed by the convoluted conversation.

Fulin’s smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression as she finally got to the point.

“Not long ago, you rescued Liyang from the Abyssal Church, didn’t you?”

‘Liyang?’

Yalin suddenly understood; she had come because of the little dragon girl.

A considerable amount of time had passed since that day, and Liyang hadn’t sought him out, causing him to almost forget the entire incident.

He never expected that Professor Fulin would be the one to finally come looking for him.

“You might be curious about my relationship with Liyang, but the reasons are quite complex and can’t be explained in a short time. You can simply think of me as her grandmother,” Fulin slowly clarified.

“After you saved her that day, she’s constantly wished to see you, but unfortunately, her body hadn’t recovered. She’s been on leave from school and only managed to get out of bed yesterday.”

As she spoke, Fulin’s tone carried a hint of worry, revealing her deep affection for Liyang.

“So, would you like to come to my home for dinner later? Consider it a request from both Liyang and me.”

After all those circumlocutions, Fulin finally revealed her true objective.

She fixed her gaze on Yalin’s eyes, a cunning smile playing on her lips.

“If you have ample time, perhaps I could also tell you a few things about your mother?”