"What? Clean up the lake surface?!" Laura cried out in horror.

Everyone knew the school's sewage drained into the lake. After stagnating all winter, the shallow water had turned putrid, with the muddy shores covered in waste.

Making them clean the lake was practically sentencing them to death by toxic fumes!

Luo Wei grimaced: "Can't we do it tomorrow? It's too late today, and I just ate."

"No," Theodore said gravely, "The Student Council insists the lake surface must be cleaned up today."

Luo Wei nearly broke down: "Clean it all up today? The lake is enormous - how could we possibly finish in one day?"

"It's not just us," Gladys said, "There are... others."

"All magic apprentices who got community service have to help," Theodore explained. "Everyone else is already there. You three are the only ones left."

Well, there was no getting out of it then.

Luo Wei glanced helplessly at Laura and Hol beside her: "In that case, let's go."

Laura trudged forward with heavy steps: "Ugh, fine."

She absolutely despised lake water!

When they reached the lake, they finally understood the Student Council's urgency.

It had rained today, raising the water level. During their patrol, the Council discovered fallen leaves and dead branches had blocked the dam, causing rainwater to accumulate upstream.

If they didn't clear the debris quickly, more rain would make the water rise rapidly and eventually flood the campus!

The academy clearly didn't want filth floating everywhere on campus, so they turned to these innocent and pitiful students.

Standing by the lake, Luo Wei took a deep breath, intending just to steel herself mentally. Instead, she inhaled such a powerful stench that she nearly collapsed.

Theodore and Hol pulled over the two-person boats prepared by the academy.

"Hurry up and get in, two people per boat. There are nets and sacks onboard - put whatever you collect into the sacks."

Luo Wei looked desperately at the nets. Last time she'd used them to dig soil, now she'd be scooping waste. Life really had taken a turn for the worse.

"Two per boat, but we're five people. How do we split up?" Laura asked.

"One more person hasn't arrived yet," Theodore looked back. "Ah, here she comes. Hey Hessel, I'm pairing with Laura - who do you want to team up with?"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Luo Wei turned to see a silent figure emerge from behind the willow trees.

The newcomer wore a black tailcoat, long legs wrapped in loose shorts, with metal-soled leather boots - a popular men's style these days. But the wearer was a young woman.

Hessel Calansis.

She had curly black hair tied in a high ponytail, and eyes so black they seemed to absorb light, like two cold pieces of obsidian set in sunken oval sockets.

Luo Wei rarely met others who shared her black hair and eyes. Hessel's eyes were particularly striking - so intensely dark they could make anyone who looked into them feel suffocated.

"Hey Hessel, who are you pairing with? There's no one else coming," Theodore asked again in his duck-like voice, seemingly unaffected by her aloof aura.

Hessel walked straight onto one of the boats and said coldly: "Whoever."

Three people remained on shore - Gladys, Hol, and Luo Wei.

"How should we... pair up?" Gladys looked hesitantly at the remaining boat.

She disliked talking to strangers, especially since Hessel appeared so intimidating.

Hol started to speak: "How about-"

"Why don't you two take the other boat," Luo Wei cut him off. "I can't swim, and Gladys probably can't either. You two should pair up, and I'll go with Senior Hessel."

"I can swim," Gladys frowned, "I just don't want to. The water's filthy."

Luo Wei smiled: "Then you should definitely pair with Hol - he doesn't mind getting dirty."

"Fine then." Gladys nodded and boarded the last empty boat.

Hol glanced between Luo Wei and Hessel, seeming to understand something before following Gladys.

After watching them push off, Luo Wei stepped onto the remaining boat. Hessel stared at her with dark eyes, saying nothing about her hesitant movements.

"Good evening, Senior Calansis."

Luo Wei greeted politely after boarding.

Hessel remained silent as she untied the rope from the gunwale, using a pole to push them away from shore.

Luo Wei wasn't offended. She picked up the net and began scooping fallen leaves from the water's surface.

"Senior, your fire-breathing mechanical bird design was quite creative, but I have an even better idea. Would you like to hear it?"

Hessel's movements froze as she turned: "What did you say?"

"I said, while your bird was entertaining, it wasn't very practical," Luo Wei continued watching the lake surface, but her lips curved upward. "After all, I could knock it down with just a wooden pole."

Hessel's pupils constricted, the deep black holes like olives: "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything," Luo Wei dragged the heavy net to the boat's edge, pulling up a mass of foul-smelling weeds. Pinching her nose, she asked: "Senior, could you hold the sack?"

Hessel gave her a cold look before bending to pick up the sack.

Luo Wei dumped the leaves in, nearly retching from the overwhelming stench. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and folded it into a triangle to tie over her face.

"Would you like one too, Senior?" She offered a second handkerchief.

Hessel frowned and turned away: "No."

Luo Wei didn't insist, tucking it back in her pocket before resuming her work scooping debris from the water.

Hessel watched her, confusion flickering across her face.

Logically, people always had motives when they spoke. She didn't believe Luo Wei was just making meaningless conversation.

Feeling the weight of Hessel's dark stare, Luo Wei put down her net and turned: "Senior, why do you keep staring at me? I'm not a fallen leaf."

"What do you really want?"

Luo Wei sighed: "I already told you but you wouldn't listen. I said I have a better idea and asked if you were interested."

"What idea?" What could she mean by 'idea'?

Hessel's brows furrowed deeply.

Luo Wei gazed at the dark sky and said: "I know of a machine called an airplane. It can fly ten thousand meters high and travel over ten thousand kilometers at once. Senior, could you make something like that?"

"You're dreaming," Hessel said flatly.

"Senior, even if you can't make it, you shouldn't deny its existence," Luo Wei shook her head regretfully. "That's actually a flying magical device that only Master Craftsmen can create. It's natural you don't know about it." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ patreon.com/BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now! Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else!

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