"Oh, Teacher Lucan!" Xue Lan called out with a warm smile, waving from across the snow-covered slope.


    Lucan turned toward her. pleased to see her. "Ah, Teacher Xue. It''s good to meet you again."


    After their brief yet intense adventure in the tribal vige, Lucan and Maris had returned to the snow-capped mountain where they had started. The sky was clear, and the sun gleamed brightly off the freshyer of snow. The cool air bit gently at their faces as they descended back onto the slope.


    As Lucan and Maris approached, they found Xue Lan waiting at the foot of the slope with the other students. Behind Xue, Maris could see her friends—Fiona, Bethy, and Hima—gathered around, It seemed everyone had gathered here.


    "How about you? Are you having fun?" Xue Lan asked, tilting her head curiously.


    Lucan let out a soft chuckle, ncing at Maris, who gave him a yful smile. "Yes, the trip through the sky, and our adventure with the tribal vige was… exciting," Lucan said


    Xue Lan blinked in confusion, her brows knitting together as she tried to process his words. "A trip through the sky? A tribal vige? But… weren''t you two skiing thest time I saw you?"


    Lucan chuckled, shaking his head. "No... it''s nothing important. More importantly, are you all enjoying yourselves?"


    Xue Lan didn''t press the issue, her confusion reced with her usual cheerful demeanor. "Yes! Both Fiona and Bethy have picked things up quickly. They''ve already mastered the basics!" She beamed, clearly proud of her students.


    "That''s great to hear." Maris grinned. "From here on, we can all ski together."


    "Once they get a bit more ustomed, we might even race," Xue added with a wink, clearly enjoying the idea of a little friendlypetition.


    Lucan smiled, pleased with the progress. "Sounds good. Let''s all ski together and see how it goes."


    With that, Lucan, Maris, Xue, and the three female students—Fiona, Bethy, and Hima—prepared to ski down the mountain together. Xue led the way, followed closely by Hima, who had already gained a reputation for her skillful skiing. Maris, with her innate athleticism, effortlessly glided over the snow, as graceful as a bird in flight.


    Her movements were so fluid that it was hard to believe it was her first time skiing.


    Lucan, meanwhile, hung back a little, keeping an eye on Fiona and Bethy, who were still working on their technique. They weren''t quite as experienced as the others, and their hesitance showed as they navigated the slopes. Fiona''s face was a mask of concentration, while Bethy looked a bit more nervous, her legs shaking slightly as she tried to maintain her bnce.


    "Don''t rush it!" Lucan called out to them from halfway down the mountain. "Take your time and ski slowly. It''s more important to stay upright than to be fast!"


    "Yes, Teacher Lucan!" Fiona shouted back, her voice carrying a bit of uncertainty.


    "Y-Yes!" Bethy followed, though her voice wavered as her skis slid unevenly beneath her.


    Lucan watched carefully as they descended, his sharp eyes catching every little wobble and misstep. Suddenly, Bethy''s ski caught on a small patch of uneven snow, and her bnce faltered.


    "Ah!" she cried out, her arms iling as she tried to regain control. Lucan instinctively reached out, ready to move toward her, but before he could, something happened.


    A shadow flickered near Bethy, subtle yet unmistakable. A small figure with delicate wings appeared behind her, silently steadying her from the back. It was marite, Maris''s summoned, its ethereal form barely visible in the sunlight. Bethy, still too focused on not falling, didn''t even notice the little creature aiding her.


    "Huh...?" Lucan muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing in surprise. He quickly nced over at Fiona, and sure enough, another shadowy figure hovered beside her, its wings fluttering gently as it guided her down the slope.


    It seemed Maris had discreetly summoned her marites to ensure her friends'' safety without them knowing. Lucan couldn''t help but smile. She truly cared for them.


    "Is something wrong, Lucan-sama?" Maris asked as she skied up beside him.


    Lucan shook his head, "No, nothing."


    "Well then... Shall we go on?" she asked, gesturing down the slope.


    Lucan nodded. Since Fiona and Bethy have marites helping them, Lucan think he can go ahead.


    Maris smiled and, with a graceful motion, pushed off down the slope, gliding effortlessly over the snow like a snow fairy. Her smooth, controlled movements were a sight to behold, her skis barely making a sound as they cut through the snow. Lucan watched her for a moment, admiring her grace before following her down.


    They made their way down the slope, and everything seemed to be going smoothly—until a sudden shout broke through the calm.


    "Ah—ahhhh!"


    Lucan''s head snapped toward the sound, just in time to see Xue Lanpletely lose her bnce. Her skis crossed awkwardly beneath her, and she iled her arms wildly, trying in vain to steady herself. But it was toote—she tipped over and began rolling down the slope, quickly picking up speed.


    "Teacher Xue!" Maris called out.


    Before Lucan or anyone else could react, Xue''s tumble turned into a full-blown snowball effect. She careened into Hima, who was skiing just ahead of her, and the two of them went down together, entangled in a chaotic heap of arms, legs, and skis.


    They rolled down the slope like a giant, iling snowball, umting more and more snow as they went. By the time they finally came to a stop, they were bothpletely covered in snow, looking more like snow-women than skiers.


    Maris skied over, trying to stifle augh, while Lucan followed close behind also smiling.


    "Are you two alright?" Maris asked, her voice filled with barely-contained giggles.


    Xue Lan, still dazed, sat up slowly, shaking snow out of her hair. "I''m… fine," she muttered, clearly embarrassed. Hima, meanwhile, wasughing uncontrobly beside her, not the least bit upset by the mishap.


    "That was… unexpected," Lucan said with a grin, offering his hand to help Xue up.


    "Ugh, I can''t believe I did that," Xue groaned, epting Lucan''s hand and pulling herself to her feet. She nced over at Hima, who was still rolling inughter. "I''m so sorry, Hima! I didn''t mean to take you down with me!"


    Hima waved her off, still chuckling. "No worries, Teacher Xue. That was hrious! Besides, I''ve never had so much snow stuck to me before."


    Lucan chuckled, brushing some of the snow off Xue''s shoulders. "Well, you certainly made a memorable moment out of it."


    Xue blushed, still mortified but managing to smile. "Let''s just hope I don''t do that again."


    As they all gathered at the bottom of the slope, Maris turned to Lucan, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Lucan-sama, shall we go again?"


    Lucan smiled, "Of course," he said, adjusting his skis. "Let''s race this time. And maybe Xue can stay upright this round."


    Xue groaned, but couldn''t help butugh along with the others as they prepared for another run down the mountain.