Taking a private exit out of the teleportation hub, we arrived in the heart of Intis: the capital city of the Royal, Ravenheart domain.
It lay slightly southwest of the land's center, where the climate remained warm year-round, the soil was fertile, and many major rivers converged.
Broad avenues radiated outward like spokes, each lined with towering buildings of stone and marble that bore the marks of countless centuries.
Banners and sigils of the empire hung high above, stirring in the constant flow of air and people. Many elves, beastkin, and dwarves mixed with the humans. Perhaps there were even some hidden vampires.
Grand plazas bustled with merchants, officials, and travelers from distant provinces.
The prices of food and other common goods here would've given a poor countryman multiple heart attacks.
Ignorant content creators and internet buffoons, lacking critical thinking skills have had field days mocking the these prices, often comparing them to the Pine Islands, a tiny nation in bum fuck nowhere.
Yeah, sure. A silver coin in Intis can probably barely get you a decent dinner, while that same silver coin could cover a week's worth of food for a family of four in the Pine Islands.
But, shall we talk about the difference in wages?
It's basic economics, yet those comparison posts still rake in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of likes every time I see them.
Throughout the Ravenheart and Romano empires, the average salary of non-cultivators is about four gold coins per year doing some menial work like food service or farming.
Meanwhile, in places like the Pine Islands, be prepared to put your life on the line everyday for barely a tenth of that working fourteen hours a day.
By the way, make sure to pop out as many babies as possible and put them to work immediately so they can provide for the family. No child labor laws there after all!
"Oh! There's wyvern skewers!" Evelyn exclaimed, pointing at a stall while pulling my hand, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Wyvern…?"
The thought of eating wyverns… confused me? I really didn't know what to think. Then, I felt a sudden pinch.
Confused by my reaction, she tilted her head. "you've never had them? Ana said you loved wyvern. I even gave her some of mine before because she insisted on bringing some back for you."
My sister let out a couple awkward coughs as she pinched me again while Evelyn's gaze narrowed in suspiciously on her.
***
The day passed in a blur as we traveled through the city to get to the academy. While we could've taken a car or other faster forms of transportation, we decided to walk the entire distance to really experience the capital.
Being high nobles, we were obviously pretty familiar with the place, but our visits here typically always had a purpose.
Today was one of the few times we were here without an agenda other than getting to know the place better.
Eventually, the towering mana-infused stone walls that enclosed the famed academy came into view. They were etched with dormant runes that glowed faintly in the sunset and stretched beyond the eyes could see.
To the uninitiated, the place looked less like an educational institution and more like a key military stronghold.
Though, taking place in a formulaic novel, it was obvious the fortress wasn't as impenetrable as it seems. An attack/invasion from a hidden organization was going to occur.
And naturally, the main character will end up playing a vital role in stopping it, defeating or heavily contributing to the fall of the final boss despite being just an Awakened grunt.
Because with countless Ascendants present that have been in the field many times longer than Hawks has been alive, clearly, he would be the one to uncover the truth and some plot bullshit helps him beat the big bad.
And save a lot of people (women) and make them fall in love with him and make his harem jealous.
"Wow…"
Walking up to the massive gate and standing below the imposing, titanic wall, I looked up in awe.
I felt like an ant gazing at an elephant. The walls were monumental, extending up to the skies.
"It sure is different in person huh?" My sister mused seeing my expression.
"I had a similar reaction for the first time as well… You'll get used to it," Evelyn added as we got into line with several dozen people our age.
Many people, like my sister and Evelyn, were returning from their summer vacation and to enter, we had to be checked and vetted.
When it neared our turn, we took off our appearance-altering relics and our identities were finally revealed.
Being high nobles—very famous ones at that—we always had to disguise our appearance in public to avoid being swarmed or constantly stared at.
Right outside the institute now, we finally unveiled our true identities, causing a ripple of shock and gasps to ring out through the crowd.
"W-what?! It's them!"
"Is that Aurelius as well? He's just as handsome as in the pictures!"
The reactions, however, remained quite subdued. After all, we were at a special entrance, separate from the one used by the prospect cadets taking the entrance exam tomorrow.
These weren't civilians, but cadets returning to the academy, some even in the same year as my sister and Evelyn. Many were already quite used to seeing their faces and the power behind them.
Unfortunately, that also meant with their prestige instilled in them, no one was brazen enough to directly challenge me.
Entering without much trouble, the interior of the institute also left me awe-struck.
Inside, the grounds unfolded into wide avenues and open plazas where hundreds of students went about their business. Many were helping prepare the entrance exam for the batch of prospects.
Grand lecture halls stood like monuments, each devoted to a specific discipline, while libraries occupied entire complexes.
Training fields and dueling arenas dotted the campus, shielded by layered barriers that shimmered whenever spells were cast.
Between them lay picturesque gardens and courtyards where cadets often circled to destress and relax.
I took in all the structures around me, familiarizing myself with them as I was led to the dorm compartments.
They were organized into apartment-like complexes, housing students by rank rather than by year.
The complexes themselves were divided into four tiers, reserved respectively for the top ten percent, twenty-five percent, fifty percent, and the remaining ones.
Beside these two dozen complexes rose four towering spires, reserved exclusively for the top ten ranked cadets, with the Primarch occupying the highest floor.
"Now, Eve… I know you're oh so eager for some love, so before you get any ideas, he's sleeping in my room tonight," my sister teased, referencing what happened when we hugged this morning.
"W-what?! I wasn't even thinking about t-that!"