Orion's gentle smile remained unchanged, but his heart was filled with doubts. "She doesn't recognize me? What's going on? Did she forget? Or is she deliberately pretending not to know me?" He didn't think it was merely a coincidence. The time he spent with Bronya at the Orphanage, that friendship, even after several years, shouldn't have faded to this extent.
His gaze subtly swept over the dark blue backpack hanging from the corner of Bronya's desk. On the flap of the backpack, a name was written in silk threads, in a slightly childish but diligently standard-imitating script—[Bronya Rand]. The name was hers, and the person was also her. So where exactly did the problem lie?
Orion stopped trying to initiate conversation and took out his textbooks from his new backpack, spreading them on the desk, adopting a posture of serious listening. However, his full attention was already focused on the silver-haired girl beside him. The Golden Threads of Fate quietly converged, like invisible tentacles, gently reaching out to Bronya. He tried to sense her emotional fluctuations, her subtle reactions. The feedback, however, made him frown slightly. Her heartbeat was steady, her breathing even; all her physiological signs indicated a state of calm. Her emotional state was even more silent. It seemed she truly had no special reaction to his appearance just now.
"This is interesting… It seems Bronya's experiences in the Overworld over these years are far more complex than I imagined." Was her past memory deliberately erased? Was she subjected to some kind of subliminal brainwashing? Or did she simply forget her childhood playmate as she grew older? If her memory was tampered with, then Cocolia was the most suspicious. As Bronya's adoptive mother, the Supreme Guardian, she probably didn't want her heir to dwell on her past in the Underworld, only hoping she would remember her future identity and mission.
Orion's original plan was to quickly draw closer to Bronya by evoking their past friendship. Now it seemed this shortcut might not work? No, it was too early to draw conclusions. Perhaps it was just their first meeting, and his appearance had indeed changed significantly compared to back then; it was not impossible that she didn't recognize him right away. In any case, he would have to try a few more times to see if he could awaken her dormant memories.
Over the next few days, Orion began to gradually familiarize himself with the rhythm of life at Belobog Academy. To his surprise, this institution, hailed as the top elite training academy in the Overworld, had a striking similarity in its teaching model to the schools in his previous life's memory—typical exam-oriented education. The timetable was packed tightly.
"History of Belobog," "Classical Literature," "Principles of Advanced Mathematics," "Introduction to Precision Mechanical Structures"… Teachers of various subjects spoke eloquently on the podium, pouring out knowledge points. Students below were drowsy, mechanically copying notes. On the bulletin board in the teaching building corridor, a sign with "Midterm Unified Test Countdown" was written in eye-catching font.
"So the children in the Overworld are also so competitive." Orion found it somewhat amusing; this was quite different from the steampunk-style elite academy he had imagined earlier. However, this standardized school was easier for him to adapt to and integrate into.
Afterward, Orion's main energy was naturally still focused on observing Bronya beside him. During class, she always sat upright, her silver-gray long hair quietly hanging behind her head, not a strand out of place. Her attitude towards listening was extremely focused, and her notes were organized and neatly written. Occasionally, when the teacher asked questions in class, her answers were always standard, often earning approving nods from the teachers. It was almost impossible for Orion to find an opportunity to talk to her during class; she was too serious about her studies.
Even during the short ten-minute break after class, Bronya never joined the other girls in her class in laughing and playing. She would take out a thick book that was not a textbook from her backpack and read it quietly. Orion found that the books Bronya read were quite diverse: "General Rules of Social Etiquette," "History of Belobog Defensive Works," and even books like "Introduction to Military Command and Tactics," which seemed out of place for her current age.
"Social etiquette is mostly Cocolia's requirement for her. As for military command… is it her own interest?" Orion analyzed silently in his mind.
And around Bronya at this moment, an invisible aura seemed to unfold, isolating everyone else. Although other classmates in the class would occasionally steal glances at her with curious or probing eyes—after all, she was the Supreme Guardian's adopted daughter and designated heir, with noble status and such outstanding looks… but no one ever dared to approach her and talk to her. Orion judged that this situation was partly due to her special status and also inseparable from her current cold and indifferent personality.
Days passed, and academy life proceeded as usual. During a relatively free self-study class, Orion decided not to wait any longer. He needed to break this deadlock. He stretched out his finger and gently touched Bronya's elbow beside him. The girl looked up from her thick book, her brown-gray eyes turning to him.
"Is there something?"
Instantly, in the classroom, gaze after gaze, whether curious, surprised, or with a hint of schadenfreude, converged on Orion.
"That transfer student from the Underworld actually dared to talk to Lady Bronya!""Doesn't he know that Lady Bronya never speaks more than half a word to commoners like us?""Lower your voice, don't let her hear… Just wait, he's definitely going to be reprimanded in public."
Muffled whispers buzzed like a swarm of mosquitoes in every corner of the classroom. Orion, however, maintained his gentle and polite faint smile.
"Sorry to bother you, Classmate Bronya."
"It's like this, I just transferred here and am not very familiar with many of the academy's arrangements."
"The history midterm exam is next month, and I wanted to ask if the teacher has roughly outlined the key topics or recommended any reference books regarding the history 'before the City-Building Era'?"
"I'm worried that I won't review effectively and will take a roundabout path."
Orion's words were earnest and natural, entirely in the posture of a diligent new student asking for guidance from his deskmate. The expressions of the surrounding classmates, who had craned their necks, ready to watch a show, were subtle. They had expected a farce, but unexpectedly, this transfer student was just a bookworm solely focused on his studies.
Bronya quietly scrutinized Orion. In her beautiful brown-gray eyes, some kind of fluctuation seemed to pass, perhaps Orion's earnest attitude in seeking guidance surprised her slightly. After a moment, she spoke, seeming to have lost some of that initial aloofness:
"The history teacher already distributed the review outline last week; it has detailed exam point explanations." She paused briefly. Then, she pulled out a folded piece of paper from her textbook. "If you haven't received one," she gently pushed the paper towards Orion's desk, "you can borrow mine to look at first."
"Remember to get one from the teacher yourself after class."
"Really? Then I'm truly grateful to you, Classmate Bronya." Orion's face broke into a smile as he accepted the outline. At the same time, his heart stirred.
"She's still kind at heart… But does she really not remember me at all? Is it because we've been apart for too long, and my appearance has changed too much, so she couldn't recognize me immediately?""Hmm, no need to rush, take it slow, there will always be an opportunity to make her remember again."
From that day on, Orion naturally used the excuse of seeking academic guidance to approach Bronya. Bronya mostly remained immersed in her own world of reading, and her interaction with Orion seemed limited to purely academic discussions. She was not resistant to this kind of interaction, which involved no other motives and revolved entirely around studying. Occasionally, she would even briefly debate a study-related question with Orion. Although her tone remained as calm as water, without much personal emotional fluctuation, at least she no longer completely ignored him as she did initially.
This scene, in the eyes of the other classmates, undoubtedly became a strange sight.
"That transfer student from the Underworld, he can actually talk to Miss Bronya?""Do you guys feel… that Miss Bronya's attitude towards him seems to be slightly… a little better than towards us?""Nonsense! Have you ever seen an ignorant fellow approach Miss Bronya with a stack of review materials thicker than a city wall to ask questions? All we rack our brains over is how to ask her out for afternoon tea after school!"
The students' private discussions were mixed with jealousy, confusion, and a hint of admiration. Orion remained composed amidst these surrounding discussions and gazes.
During Wednesday's lunch break, Orion was, as usual, reviewing materials in the classroom. At this moment, a commotion came from the other side of the classroom. Two older male students walked up to Bronya's desk, one of them tall and with an arrogant expression.
"Miss Bronya, my family is holding a party this weekend, and I'd like to invite you to attend… I wonder if you would grace us with your presence?"