Chapter 62: The Magic Tower

Lu Xing didn't even have time to help her.

First, Annie was suddenly called upon by the teacher and stood up still looking somewhat dazed. Second, she could hardly understand what the teacher was asking. Something about inserting a pointer P to a node at the head of a singly linked list—she couldn't understand a single word of it!

"It's fine, at least I'm the one making a fool of myself!"

Lu Xing comforted her.

Annie let out a soft giggle and asked him, "Is the knowledge Mr. Lu Xing studies equivalent to magic on Earth? Annie has observed carefully, and the things mobile phones and computers can do are no less impressive than magic."

When she first used a mobile phone to contact Miss Xiao Yu, she thought the phone was a magical item. After asking Miss Xiao Yu, she learned that it ran on electricity, with not a shred of magic involved.

"It does look similar, but I know nothing about magic, so I can't say for sure."

"Annie learns mobile phones, Mr. Lu Xing learns magic, and together we'll change the world!"

The noble young lady's tone was full of vitality.

However, judging by Lu Xing's current observations of the various worlds, their cultivation systems were simply not interconnected at all!

Their experiences, however, could be used as reference.

After ending the chat, Annie continued her class, while Lu Xing browsed through a few books in her study.

After a short while, Catherine came in to report: "Madam Phyllis invites you over as a guest."

"Is she free right now? Good, go have someone prepare a box of blueberry-flavored cheese and chill it with ice magic."

"Did Miss Annie tell you about that?"

Catherine wasn't surprised. She just gave him an extra glance before turning away to make the preparations.

When she entered the study again, Lu Xing frowned: "Why are you changing my clothes again?"

She had brought seven or eight maids with her—the same personal maids who had dressed Lu Xing that morning, and they were still holding clothes and jewelry.

"Although the magic tower is connected to the castle, wizards frequently go there to meditate, which is equivalent to going out. A noble young lady must wear appropriate attire when going out!"

Catherine explained calmly, pointing to the pearl pendant on Lu Xing's head: "Your attire just now was for being at home—a duke's daughter acting spoiled in front of her parents. The clothes and jewelry lean towards being cute, and the pearl pendant sways when Miss Annie bounces around, which makes Madam very happy.

When going out, you must change into neat and proper attire to display the dignity of the Swinton family and show off Miss Annie's beauty!"

Lu Xing used Annie's slender, delicate palm to touch the strings of pearls on his forehead. He had to admit, it certainly looked good!

Submitting to the maids' fussing, Lu Xing was changed into an elaborate gown with a blue base and a large number of white roses. Various magical pieces of jewelry were properly put on, transforming him into a mobile artillery platform once again.

Solemn clothes required rigorous etiquette.

Every time Lu Xing walked down the stairs, the maid had to reach out to support him. It was just that looking at her indifferent expression, she hardly seemed like the type who would lift her skirt to apologize.

Getting into the carriage, they traveled all the way through the gardens, exited from the southern gate of the castle, and entered another garden.

"This is the back garden of the magic tower. Outsiders cannot enter; it is Madam Phyllis's private garden," the maid explained.

Lu Xing raised an eyebrow: "Then why did you make me change clothes?"

"We are entering through the main entrance, which will allow you to see the other wizards along the way," she replied.

Lu Xing didn't mind. If they wanted to see them, so be it.

The carriage traveled along the edge of the back garden, passed through a vine-covered gate, and arrived at a spacious plaza—this was the forecourt of the magic tower.

The plaza was quite vast, paved with white stone bricks, and four gigantic pillars were its most striking feature. Faintly visible on the pillars were numerous reliefs and magical runes, appearing to be spell formations that complemented the magic tower.

In the middle was a fountain pool, with a statue of a goddess standing in the center, guarded by a large number of deeply religious sculptures such as angels, saints, and believers.

People passing through the plaza, whether entering or leaving the magic tower, would pause to pay a respectful tribute to the goddess's statue, placing their right fist over their chests and bowing slightly to it.

"Is this the Goddess of Holy Light?"

It was Lu Xing's first time seeing a statue of the goddess. He hadn't been to the chapel yet, though there was a room inside the castle dedicated exclusively to the Swinton family for prayer, which Lu Xing also hadn't visited.

"Do not stare directly at the goddess's face; that is disrespectful to the goddess!"

Catherine warned and reminded him, saying in a low voice, "Follow my lead and pay respects to the goddess's statue."

"I don't believe in the goddess," Lu Xing said.

"Even if you don't believe, you must maintain respect for the divinities. We have a saying passed down from ancient times: no matter how arrogant and conceited a person is, they will not challenge the tolerance of the gods, and no matter how foolish and ignorant a person is, they will not provoke the majesty of the gods. Mortals should know their place!"

Lu Xing smiled. "Logically speaking, since I'm a guest here, the goddess should be the one welcoming me. But since I'm Annie right now, I'll do things as Annie."

The maid said nothing. It wasn't until the carriage drove up in front of the goddess's statue that she said coldly, "Perhaps I should add another title for you: the ignorant master who does not revere the gods!"

With that, she stepped lightly out of the carriage. Amidst the fluttering hem of her skirt, the pair of long legs wrapped in gray silk stockings were particularly eye-catching.

Lu Xing glanced at them and asked her, "What kind of lame joke is that?"

"Miss Annie, please get out of the carriage."

The maid bowed respectfully and reached out to support Lu Xing, who was still inside the carriage.

She had no desire to answer his question at all.

In broad daylight, Lu Xing could do nothing about this maid who was cold on the outside but full of internal monologues. He had no choice but to place his hand on her palm, lift his skirt with his other hand, and step down carefully.

After paying respects to the goddess's statue alongside the maid, they continued forward, leaving the carriage behind.

Once Lu Xing and Catherine appeared, the people entering and leaving the magic tower successively cast curious gazes their way.

"Most of the people who come here are wizards of the Swinton family. They will bow to you. You do not need to return the bow; just nod slightly and acknowledge them with your gaze," Catherine reminded him in a low voice.

"Some are guests visiting. If I take the initiative to greet them or give you a signal, you can return a simple greeting to them."

Lu Xing indicated that he understood.

Quite a number of people were entering and exiting the magic tower. The Swinton family only had four hundred wizards, so it was clear that a significant portion of the people coming and going must be magic apprentices, alchemical apprentices, and the like, who were going inside to study.

A magic tower was equivalent to a school, and Phyllis was the headmaster.

As Lu Xing and Catherine walked up to the main entrance of the magic tower, the passersby bowed to him one after another. Most of them said nothing, moving away immediately after bowing, while only a few called out "Miss Annie," though none stepped forward to converse.

Entering the tower, the first floor was a grand hall where various wizards and alchemists chatted in groups of twos and threes, casting looks of attention toward Lu Xing.

Catherine led him across the hall, through a long corridor ahead, up to the second floor where she pushed open a room door. After entering, she pushed open another door at the far end of the room and stepped onto an open-air corridor.

"Have we returned to the back garden?"

Through the window, Lu Xing saw the place they had visited earlier and noticed a three-story Western-style villa situated in the middle of the back garden. "Does Miss Phyllis live in that building?"

"You're not quite that foolish yet," the maid said flatly.

Lu Xing realized that whenever it was just the two of them, this maid would grow arrogant. Her words truly begged to be punished!