At first, Lucifer thought it was just a momentary impulse, but nearly a month had passed, and the excitement and restlessness brought by the wind-wing magic had not cooled down. He was not joking; he genuinely wanted to learn!

  "Alright then, I'll think of a way," Bruce said without saying much more.

  “Dad, I found a temporary job at Mr. Jess's magic high school, watching over the library. I’ll start the day after tomorrow,” Lucifer said.

  Since he had decided to learn magic, Lucifer had no intention of giving up just because he was academically challenged. Whether he could get into the magic high school and seize the opportunity to awaken as a magician depended on his dad. He knew he needed to fill the gaps in his knowledge through his own efforts, so even though he was fully aware that he had little hope of getting into the magic high school, he had already found this job in advance.

  The pay was almost non-existent, just covering food and lodging, but it was very important to Lucifer. In the library, he could find so much that he needed to catch up on.

  Bruce was taken aback; he probably didn’t know what had changed his son’s mind. But since Lucifer was determined to learn magic, what was there not to be happy about? After all, in this society, only magicians held true status. No matter how successful one was in business, owning a house and a car could never compare to the value and respect commanded by a magician who graduated from a magic school.

  “Let’s go home and talk,” Bruce nodded, saying no more. For Bruce, there was nothing to worry about with his son; he wasn’t even sixteen yet, but in his heart, he was already an adult.

  They lived in a residential area built around a half-mountain. Following the road with iron railings, walking all the way to the end of the path, they reached Lucifer's home.

  It was a small, one-and-a-half-story building, its exterior paint peeling to reveal red bricks, surrounded by a lot of clutter.

  Most of the neighboring houses had at least three and a half stories, looking more like homes after some renovations, while Lucifer's house, being in the corner and low, appeared particularly shabby and old.

  “Lucifer, you’re back! I have good news for you!” A boy who looked like a muddy monkey jumped out as soon as they reached the door, his face full of joy.

  This muddy monkey was named Alastor, a child from the old neighborhood who had grown up with Lucifer.

  “What good news?” Lucifer asked.

  “The little princess is back! I saw her at the manor today. Wow, you wouldn’t believe how beautiful she is now; she’s like a little angel!” Alastor said, a bit excited.

  Lucifer glanced at the manor facing the street. The manor had exquisite greenery that made the entire city envious, with every inch of land’s flowers and trees meticulously sculpted to reach the level of a true garden.

  However, this beautiful garden was now surrounded by high iron railings.

  He remembered that when he was younger, there were no iron railings, and he often brought the children from the street to play in the manor.

  At the highest point of the manor were several very exquisite European-style villas, which looked like castles from fairy tales in the eyes of these mischievous kids. And indeed, a beautiful princess lived in those castles, one who took their breath away, around the same age as them. Lucifer often led a group of children to sneak the princess out to play...

  But at some point, iron railings appeared around the manor, and the adults in the neighborhood no longer allowed the children to venture inside. The princess, who once played with everyone, had truly become a princess of the castle, becoming increasingly distant as they grew older, and they saw her less and less.

  “Did you know? I heard the little princess is now a top student at a prestigious magic school in New York, with an innate ability for ice magic that others can’t compare to. She can already cast ice magic at just 15 years old!” Alastor said mysteriously.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Lucifer was taken aback. If Alastor had told him that the little princess had won some national competition, he would have felt nothing. But if she was an ice magician, that was truly remarkable!

  The vast majority of people only awaken their magic at 16, during their first year of high school, and obtaining their first magic type.

  However, just because one awakens doesn’t mean they are a magician; they still need to undergo a long period of training, obtain magic books, and practice diligently to be able to cast a single spell. This little princess was truly impressive; she was already a real magician at 15!

  Could this be what they called a prodigy? A prodigy in the magic world!

  “Lucifer, I feel so sorry for you. If you had just put in a bit more effort back then, you might have won over the innocent little princess. With both talent and looks, tsk tsk tsk... we’re so envious,” Alastor said, raising his eyebrows.

  “Forget about that childish stuff from back then,” Lucifer replied, ignoring him.

  Bruce, listening to the two boys talk, coughed and took Lucifer home.

  As soon as they got home, old Bruce said, “I’ll be out for a while. Nancy is staying at her aunt’s, so she shouldn’t be back.”

  “Okay, I got it.”

  ...

  Bruce hurriedly left, and Lucifer walked around the house, noticing that there hadn’t been any changes; it was still the same bare home.

  The world had changed, but the poverty of his family hadn’t changed at all. Why couldn’t his family swap places with that family in the manor? God really went to great lengths to turn science into magic; couldn’t he have taken care of this little matter too?

  The only thing he was grateful for was that he hadn’t changed in appearance; he was still charming and handsome!

  Sitting at home was boring; there was nothing to do. Lucifer, feeling bored, went out for a stroll, wanting to see if anything else had changed.

  Following a rarely traveled mossy path, just as he was about to turn onto the main street, he spotted his dad’s old pickup truck.

  His dad was a driver; he used to drive for the lord of the manor, but later, for some reason, he was transferred to logistics, mainly helping the people at the manor with their purchases. Since then, their family’s situation had drastically declined.

  “Bruce, your demands are a bit unreasonable. You should know I’ve been good to you in the past. Your son did something like that, and I still left a procurement job for you. If it were someone else’s family, I would have kicked him out immediately,” a middle-aged man’s slow voice came through.

  “Mr. Jess, consider this my last request for your help. The tuition for Tianlan Magic High School is really too much; you know my family’s situation, and we simply can’t afford it,” Bruce’s voice sounded somewhat humble.

  “Why are you doing this for your useless son? If he can’t get into the magic high school on his own, let him fend for himself. He’s almost 16. Besides, even if I help you get him into the magic high school, with his nature, he’ll definitely still be aimless and won’t become a real magician. Becoming a magician isn’t easy; it requires both innate talent and hard work. Moreover, can your family afford those magic books, magic tools, and magical items? Without these aids, he won’t even be able to become a beginner magician...” The man named Jess spoke in a serious tone, but all Lucifer heard was arrogance.

  “He really wants to learn this time. Mr. Jess, if you’re willing to help me this time, I promise we’ll move out of the village as the Wilson family head requested. This will also put the Wilson family head’s mind at ease, and I guarantee that brat won’t go looking for Miss Aishi again,” Bruce’s voice came through.

  “Oh, that’s something to consider.”

  Upon hearing that they were willing to move away, the man named Jess seemed interested in continuing the conversation.

  ...

  Against the wall, a young man leaned against it, feeling an incredibly complex mix of emotions as he listened to this conversation.

  He had thought the world had changed, that many terrifying relationships would also change, but it turned out... nothing had changed at all.

  The wealthy Wilson family, like rulers, still looked down from above, while his father, struggling at the bottom, still had to crawl and beg. This Jess was the chairman behind Tianlan Magic High School; with just a word, he could get Lucifer into the magic high school.

  But upon hearing his dad Bruce mention moving out of the village, Jess seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.

  In the end, the conversation concluded with old Bruce repeatedly thanking Jess, who then drove away in his luxury car, leaving behind the lonely, old pickup truck that looked worn out in the dust, just like his dad Bruce.

  Was this a dream?

  It was as cruel as reality. Leaning against the wall, Lucifer felt the weight of his breath, clearly realizing that his family situation hadn’t changed at all, and his humble status remained unchanged.

  The old titles of lord and lady, which seemed to belong to a bygone era, had not truly ended in contemporary society. Certain historically rooted families still occupied positions of power. Although the people serving them were no longer called servants but workers, and although they no longer needed to bow and kneel, the fates of these lower-class people were still tightly held in the hands of the wealthy and influential, manipulated at will.

  He was born into such a lower class, dominated by a family called Wilson.

  Something seemed to surge violently within him, and his fists clenched tightly, striking heavily against the greenish wall.