Chapter 2

When the ancient civilization, sealed away for countless ages, entered the space age and came into contact and conflict with other civilizations, what would happen at the intersection of technology and magic? In fact, some things never change. Where there are resources to be contested, there will be disputes. And where there are disputes and conflicts, there will naturally be what is known as the "jianghu" (the world of martial arts and chivalry). However, Luo Xia, who had just arrived in this new world, had no time to ponder these matters. In a flurry of panic and activity, with the simplest of luggage, he arrived at the country where his sister once lived—Soltsteinman. Soltsteinman, which in Elvish means "wonderful realm," is now the most important and special region in the entire Axi. People commonly refer to it as Solt, and its official name is the Soltsteinman Commercial Alliance. It is composed of twenty-nine satellite cities, most of which are prosperous commercial metropolises. Over a hundred years ago, this place was a desolate ancient battlefield. The arrival of the new era and a treaty signed by all countries changed everything. Solt became a special economic zone, open to the entire universe, with tax exemptions and low inspection standards, thus establishing itself as a nation. The allure of tax exemptions is irresistible to profit-seeking merchants, and the reduction of inspection standards and entry procedures has made it even more attractive. Unique extraterrestrial goods have drawn second-hand merchants from all over Axi to come and snatch them up. Six of the top ten spaceports in Axi are located here, with hundreds of spaceports distributed across various city-states. Thousands of spaceships take off and land here every day, with countless goods and passengers flowing through. The massive circulation of finance, goods, and talent is more magical than the skills of a mage. What was once a wasteland has now become the most prosperous region in the entire plane. Putting aside the special aspects of commerce and technology, with the influx of a large number of people from other domains, Solt, as a melting pot of multiple cultures, has a unique educational system. Among the many schools, some are very special, like the Western-style schools that emerged during the Self-Strengthening Movement. In the special economic zone, there are also unique schools that train spaceship designers, builders, and pilots, among other new professions. Some have fallen into obscurity after a brief period of glory, while others have grown larger to meet the demands of the times, becoming symbols of the new era. The Solt Interstellar Knight Academy where Luo Xia is enrolled is a historical prestigious school that was once a symbol of the new era a hundred years ago. The Solt First Interstellar Watcher Academy was originally the premier royal academy in Solt. Now, it is a special academy that aims to train "interstellar knights who are not ashamed to wander among the stars." Magic, horsemanship, languages, and magitech are all part of their curriculum. But for Luo Xia, who was born on Earth, Axi, with its magic and fantastical creatures, the intersection of magical and space technology, and the convergence of common and uncommon knowledge in the cities of Solt, is simply too dreamlike... and too chaotic. He has not felt the romance and fantasy of a fantastical adventure. Since arriving here, the group of bastard classmates and their bizarre worldview have been constantly challenging his common sense. But some things are the same... like the damned exams and endless historical trivia that a student must face. "In which year did the representatives of various races in Axi sign the Watcher Treaty?" "Year 37 of Dawn. The elves were the first to sign, and the trolls were the last. They took a full 87 years just to elect a new chief in their own way. The previous chief? He was blown to pieces in the previous war. His name? Don't worry, there's no record of it in history, so it won't be on the exam." "When was the founding of the Solt Commercial Alliance? Where? Who?" "Year 442 of Dawn, 132 years ago that afternoon. To strengthen ties and commercial exchanges with other worlds, in the grand hall of the Tower of Clouds, the Mage Kingdom, the Northern Lam Alliance, and thirty-seven other countries signed a treaty to establish a special economic zone open to the outside world, thus creating the permanently neutral Solt Commercial Alliance..." The teacher announced that there would be a pop quiz in history tomorrow, and those who performed the worst would have to attend remedial classes. The students began to cram. "What are the birth, death, and resurrection dates of Esterada, the Miracle Hand?" "... I think he lived for over 1,600 years? Or was it 2,800 years?" "Clearly over a thousand, the history of this generation of humans is unlikely to span three thousand years." "Tsk, to live almost two thousand years, he must have set a historical record." "The longest-lived?" "No, the longest celibate. I remember that 'Tales of Legends' mentioned that Esterada never had a lover and devoted all his energy to reforming holy light and the education of the new generation of holy knights. He was the best holy knight mentor, and many of his disciples became epic figures." "Pfft, he truly deserves to be called the purest holy knight. But I heard that the more celibate one is, the more likely they are to become perverted, focusing on educating young knights? He probably had some thoughts about cute boys..." People are forgetful, and time is merciless. After fifty years and three generations, the new generation can laugh about the hardships of the past and focus on teasing the romantic escapades and receding hairlines of the founding leaders. Axi is no different. After four or five hundred years, the heroic epics of the past have become amusing anecdotes for people to discuss over meals. The more one hears the praising words in the textbooks, the more they become tedious sermons. When young people's rebellious nature views "overturning" authority as an honor, it's natural for all sorts of heroic and great figures to become the subject of jokes and memes. Using modern values to interpret the actions of people from the past, the gap between rumors and reality becomes smaller and smaller. Just like the relationship between Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Records of the Three Kingdoms, the novels and games derived from historical records are more deeply ingrained in people's minds than the actual history. "What? King Arthur is a man? Nonsense, she's clearly a blonde, big-eating girl. Even if she has a flat chest, you can't call her a man." "What? Tang Sanzang is a bearded monk? Nonsense, he's a pretty-faced monk with a monkey, a pig, and a kappa as disciples! What? Not a kappa but a bald guy? What's the difference?" "What? Bifeng is a male half-dragon? Nonsense, she's clearly a cute elf girl. How else would she get the title of Mother of All Beasts?" Cough, I digressed. Let's get back to the main topic. In the classroom of the first-year D class of the Magic Armor Department at the Solt First Interstellar Knight Academy, Luo Xia's classmates were all busy. Some were answering questions to reinforce their memory, others were reviewing repeatedly, creating a bustling... cramming scene. Well, ignoring those who were preparing cheat sheets and carving notes on their desks. The only thing more detested by students than going to school is having to come to school even on rest days. The notice on the blackboard about remedial classes for those who failed the history pop quiz can make even the laziest student work hard. Luo Xia had been at this academy for two weeks, but he still couldn't adapt to life here, let alone the studies that felt like starting all over again. As other students busily reviewed for the exam, Luo Xia looked at the cover of the history textbook... with a blank expression. He could only be blank. "What the heck is this? Why does an Earthling have to learn extraterrestrial history, and there's an exam tomorrow?" A large number of unfamiliar place names, countries, and people, along with various historical events, are the hardest things to remember when studying history. But even an ordinary person, after being repeatedly exposed to movies, TV shows, and novels, would have some understanding of historical events and figures, and these "common knowledge" would help their historical studies. Just like a lover of Three Kingdoms heroes, when taking a test on related Three Kingdoms history, they might guess a few right, provided they can distinguish between Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the actual history. As an Earthling, especially as a game enthusiast, thanks to the countless related works, Luo Xia knew about Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and he used to do well on exams, but now... "What the heck is the Dawn Holy War? The Underworld Campaign even took place in another plane. Why do I have to remember the birthday and deeds of a primitive knight from some village? This has nothing to do with me! Living for over a thousand years, is this even human? And... what kind of script is this in the textbook? I can't understand it at all. Do I have to start learning from elementary school again?" Yes, the most critical issue, often ignored in common穿越 novels, is the language problem. For daily communication, the common language promoted by the Watcher Star Alliance can suffice, but there's no reason for the locally produced common textbook not to use the local language. Luo Xia was inwardly complaining fiercely, but his expression remained calm. The smiling boy closed the history book, which he couldn't possibly understand, and looked up calmly... "Ah, the ceiling here is so blue. Hey, someone is playing football outside? Indeed, the weather is so nice, don't waste such comfortable sunlight. Since I can't understand it anyway, I might as well skip class and go exercise." As the boy tried to escape reality, the next moment, a familiar sport caught his attention... "So, there are ball games here too. Tsk, they play so badly..." Until on the sports field, a stone giant missed a kick, and the ball disappeared, along with the goalkeeper and the goalpost flying away. The unfortunate orc goalkeeper spun in the air, wailing as he ascended like a meteor, then fell to the ground. "I just realized, even playing football is a high-risk activity these days." Considering the size difference and the orc's arms, which were thicker than his thighs, if he were hit, he would probably turn into ketchup without even the chance to fly. So, Luo Xia withdrew his gaze and nodded silently. "As a student, the proper thing to do is to study well. Yes, study well and listen attentively." At that moment, the bell rang, and a white-haired, purple-eyed, brown-skinned elf woman walked in. "Ashhodaa! Good morning, everyone. Today, we will have our first lesson in Elvish. Since you have all entered this academy, you should have completed the basic Elvish language course. This semester, we will learn the basic grammar and 5,000 commonly used words of seventeen Elvish language branches, including Grey Elvish, Snow Elvish, Wood Elvish, and Ancient Elvish. Please open your Elvish language textbooks and follow me in reading..." Glancing at the other students' desks, Luo Xia silently took out the brand new textbook filled with tadpole-like characters. "Oh, this isn't a picture book... I guess I have to start from kindergarten again." Silently closing the textbook, Luo Xia smiled with the resolve of a determined person. But he didn't know that the Grey Elvish teacher's good classroom management wasn't because her lessons were interesting, but because, being of Dark Elvish origin, she was not only petty and vengeful but also had excellent eyesight. "The student in the second-to-last row by the window, yes, you. You seem so confident in Elvish. Come, read this paragraph for us." "What?" At that moment, even smiling was a mistake, and Luo Xia's expression was probably distorted.