That morning, the sun began to climb high. The three of them ran hurriedly toward the academy, racing against time before the educational institution's gates were tightly shut by the guard. However, just as they arrived in front of the gate, with only a small gap remaining before it closed, Kazien suddenly halted.
Seeing Kazien suddenly stop, Alvin and Allen spontaneously halted their steps as well.
The gatekeeper, a man tasked with watching the entrance, was puzzled by the behavior of the three who had arrived but instead stood frozen in place.
"Do you three want to enter or not?" the man asked in a flat tone.
Kazien caught his breath for a moment, then straightened his posture.
"We will enter, but later... after we meet His Majesty at the palace! I forgot I have to meet him right now." Kazien answered casually.
Without waiting for the gatekeeper's response, Kazien reached out his hand into empty space. Instantly, he pulled a black carriage along with its draft horse out of his dimensional storage.
The sudden appearance of the massive vehicle made the academy gatekeeper jump in shock. His eyes went wide, amazed yet confused to see a student capable of using high-level spatial magic to store an object of that size. However, he remained completely unaware that the horse standing gallantly was a golem. To him, it looked like a very obedient ordinary horse.
"Alvin, Allen, get inside! I will drive it from the outside!" Kazien ordered.
The two of them nodded obediently and immediately entered the carriage cabin.
Before climbing onto the coachman's seat, Kazien looked at the guard who was still dazed. "His Majesty might come here later! Please be ready to open the gate if this carriage arrives again!"
Despite his immense confusion and not knowing who the silver-white-haired student before him actually was, the man chose to nod stiffly and obey what he said without question.
The carriage began to move. The golem horse stepped steadily, leaving the academy gate and driving slowly through the crowds of the kingdom's capital. Meanwhile, the gatekeeper could only stare at the departing carriage from behind the gate he finally closed.
On the capital streets, no one realized that the horse pulling the carriage was a golem. Disguise magic and its perfect physical form led everyone in the capital to believe that it was just an ordinary black horse.
However, Kazien felt uncomfortable as he became the center of attention along the road. People pointed and whispered as his carriage passed. This left him confused.
Why is everyone looking at me? Kazien thought anxiously. Do they realize that this horse is a golem?
Kazien thought for a moment, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. But it seemed impossible for ordinary civilians to identify it as a golem with just a glance.
However, everything Kazien thought was wrong. Everyone was watching Kazien not because of his horse, but because he was wearing a striking academy uniform in the middle of the bustling capital during school hours.
"Hey, look at that. Why is that academy student driving a carriage at this hour? Is he skipping class?" whispered a citizen.
"Young people nowadays... What is he thinking? All academy students should have started their lessons by now." chimed another.
Kazien finally realized the reason behind everyone staring at him. His face reddened slightly, suppressing his embarrassment. He could only smile wryly at their assumptions.
Moments later, the carriage stopped right in front of the grand gate leading to the royal palace. Two soldiers were on duty guarding the gate, and one of them approached him with a spear in hand.
"Halt! What business brings you here?" the soldier asked firmly.
Kazien climbed down from the coachman's seat and looked the soldier straight in the eye.
"I am Kazien Altavis and I wish to meet His Majesty! Please open the gate!"
Hearing the name "Altavis" mentioned, the two soldiers guarding the gate trembled slightly. That name carried heavy weight. However, they were palace guards, and rules were rules. They both tried to perform their duties properly.
"We apologize, Young Master, but we cannot open this gate for you if you do not have official documents or a direct invitation from His Majesty." he refused politely.
Kazien stared at them coldly, having no time for a long argument.
"I wish to discuss something very important with His Majesty! If you do not open the gate, do not blame me if the Altavis family troops attack a region in this kingdom and exterminate everyone there!"
That threat froze the atmosphere. Instantly, the two gatekeepers were shocked to the core, falling silent with cold sweat streaming down their faces.
They knew it was not an empty threat.
If the Altavis family decided to attack a region, it was certain that the region would become a sea of frozen blood.
Whether trained military soldiers or civilians, everyone would be exterminated indiscriminately if they chose to fight or did not leave the region immediately upon seeing the Altavis family troops invading.
The power possessed by the Altavis family was terrifying. With their signature high-level ice magic, they could freeze everything. Buildings, land, even life itself in the blink of an eye.
However, only a handful of people knew about the fatal consequences of the Altavis family's power.
That terrifying power had consequences if not controlled well. That magic could be a double-edged sword. It could be effective magic to destroy enemy territory, or it could be magic that destroys everything, including killing one's own allies, if not mastered correctly.
Fortunately, the Altavis family was known to act only during emergencies and never engaged in provocation. They tended to act defensively and remain neutral. However, that neutrality would turn into hell for their enemies if they ever began to attack.
From the past until now, that is the reason why the Altavis family is the symbol of absolute power belonging to the Garveon Kingdom.
Feeling like they had no other choice and afraid to trigger the Altavis family's wrath, the two guards looked at each other nervously. They immediately opened the giant gate and allowed Kazien to pass through.
Kazien climbed back onto the carriage. The carriage moved slowly, approaching the main palace building. Kazien felt relieved once he was inside the spacious royal palace courtyard.
Once the carriage stopped, Kazien got down and opened the passenger door.
"We have arrived in front of the palace! Let's get down!"
Upon stepping out of the carriage, Allen looked up. He was amazed to see the palace doors standing wide open, massive in size and adorned with intricate carvings before him.
His feelings were mixed. He felt nervous yet enthusiastic, as this was the first time in his life he had set foot in such a magnificent palace.
"Let's go inside!" invited Kazien, leading the way.
Their footsteps slowly entered the palace. The sound of their shoes echoed on the marble floor. Allen kept looking left, right, up, and down, trying to record every detail of the luxury he saw.
He felt an extraordinary sense of awe as he looked at all the walls coated with expensive ornaments and the sturdy, grand ceramics surrounding him.