Travelling through the city, I saw magnificent sights, massive shops, towering industries, and multiple grand homes. The capital was full of wonders. Beastmen, humans, elves, lizardmen, and dwarves. Races of every kind walked the streets. Looking over the railing and into a glass window, I saw an assortment of creatures. The next shop had all sorts of equipment; the next, potions. There was an endless amount of things to do! The caravan turned, and to our right was a massive park with a great lake within. On that lake, I saw massive boats sailing across it.
The sky was vast; in it were what I'd learnt to call blimps and hot air balloons, along with many winged creatures with people riding upon them. The noise that polluted the city was chaotic but also wonderful; so many strange sounds echoed through the street. As we made our way through the city, many carriages passed by us on both sides, some with crests, some without. Still right behind us were the Vaelmont and the Wintermere houses.
We travelled deeper through the city; more eyes fell upon the carriages behind me. I watched people halt and stare, whispering. Suddenly, a man broke through the crowd.
"It's the Vaelmont heirs!"
"Wintermere too!" Another person yelled.
The crowd cheered and whistled as we made our way through the streets.
"Why are they cheering?" I asked.
"Well, it's not every day you see houses of their standing arriving at Crownspire," Earl responded.
A large building appeared as we turned another corner; a massive tower sprouted from its center, pulsing slightly. The tower reached high into the sky, its surface covered in gold and silver. I stared at it in awe. The caravan halted in front of the massive wall at the front of the building, and Darel stepped out quickly. He signalled for the caravan to turn. The carriages in front turned around the street corner and rode away slowly. Earl pulled the horse to the front entrance and stepped off, offering his hand to me.
"Looks like it's your stop; it was a pleasure having you around."
I took his hand, lowering myself out of the wagon and onto the paved floor.
He grabbed my sword and bag and handed them to me.
"Thank you, Earl. I will miss your stories."
"I'll miss your cold answers," he said with a faint smile as he jumped back on the wagon.
"You've been a great help, kid. Roderic wasn't wrong about you!" Darel said.
He reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of paper. "You'll need this."
I grabbed it and opened the familiar sheet—my application acceptance letter. I smiled, wrapping it up. I bowed to Darel.
"Thank you for taking me all the way here."
"No problem, kid," he said, hopping onto the wagon next to Earl.
"See you around!" he added before riding off.
I watched as the caravan disappeared into the distance, and as I turned, a familiar voice rang out.
"Good luck, Luna!" Gary shouted while atop his horse.
I smiled and waved back. "Thank you," I responded quietly.
I kept my hand raised for a few moments as Gary disappeared into the crowd.
I turned and faced the massive building.
I breathed out.
So this is it...
I took a step forward towards Crownspire Academy.
Walking through the golden gate at its entrance, I found the front garden of the building. Flower gardens traced the ground, creating massive, beautiful patterns; trees grew within the garden, and birds flew through the air, singing their songs.
Many gardeners watered the flowers and pulled weeds. They stared silently as I walked past them. Reaching the massive front door, two armed guards stood guard.
"Acceptance letter," the guard on the right demanded.
I handed it over to him. He took it and read it slowly. He then passed it over to the guard on the left, who read it.
"What's your house, Ashvale? I've never heard of it," the guard holding the letter asked.
"It's not a noble house if that's what you're thinking," I told him.
"You're not a noble?" His eyes traced over me. His face hardened.
"You expect me to believe that Crownspire accepted someone like you!?" He held the letter for a few moments. "This is most definitely fake!"
My heart dropped. "What do you mean, fake?" I yelled out.
"It's fake... now get out." The guards reached for their weapons. "Or we'll make you."
"What are you doing!" A voice rang out behind me.
A beautiful girl in an emerald green dress with golden accents ran toward me, holding the edges of her skirt with her hands so she wouldn't trip. Her auburn hair was in a nice bun above her head. She stared at the guard, her green eyes locking with his brown. Behind her, a tall boy with glasses followed, walking while examining something in his hand. His hair was darker than hers, but their eyes matched. He wore a nice brown suit lined with gold.
The girl spoke. "What's the problem here?"
The guard looked at her, sneering slightly. "And who are you, a small nobl-" He stopped himself as his eyes fell upon the green leaf brooch pinned to her dress.
"I-I mean, Lady Vaelmont, th-this peasant has-has a fake letter!" He yelled, practically falling over himself.
Vaelmont? She was the one in the carriage...
"Let me see that!" She reached out and grabbed the letter from the man's hands.
She examined it carefully, the man's face paling as she did. She reached into her expensive-looking purse and pulled out an identical letter.
"These look the same to me, don't they, Sylus?" She said, shoving the letters in the boy's face behind her.
He looked up from the trinket he was touching and squinted. Grabbing the papers, he smiled slightly while rubbing his thumb across them.
"Same paper. Same mana-infused ink. The seals were pressed from the same engraving." He adjusted his glasses. "Unless someone somehow perfectly replicated Crownspire's materials, they're both authentic."
She then shoved them in the guard's face. "Unless you're calling my brother and me liars, I suggest you let us in," Ava said.
The guard's face now completely white, nodded frantically. "Yes, Lady Vaelmont! It was my mistake!" he yelled while looking at the other guard. They both pulled the door open.
I looked at the girl and sighed in relief. "Thank you," I said while bowing.
"No problem!" She yelled out while curtsying.
"I'm Ava Vaelmont; this is my brother Sylus," she said while kicking him slightly.
The boy stood tall, meeting my gaze. "As she said, I'm Sylus Vaelmont; it's a pleasure to meet you."
I bowed to him. "I'm Luna, officially known as Luna Ashvale; nice to meet you as well."
"So you are a commoner... That's fine; you're still a candidate of Crownspire, which means you must be strong, smart, or both!" Ava smiled.
"A commoner?" An unfamiliar voice rang out behind her.
A boy taller than Sylus and a girl around Ava's height stood close by. They had icy blue hair and pale skin. The girl wore a blue dress with white-and-gold trim. The boy was in a light blue suit with white accents. Both wore white castle emblems.
I looked at Ava, her face scrunched. "Sebastian and Ersa Wintermere." She mumbled.
"The Vaelmonts..." Sebastian sneered. "Looking out for the poor once again, how beneath you."
"Shut it, Sebastian; she's a candidate just like us!" Ava yelled.
He crossed his arms.
Ersa approached me. "No status, no money, no family, only a pretty face." She sneered. "How Crownspire has changed."
Brushing past me, she walked inside. The guard tried to speak but shut up as she stared daggers at him. Sebastian rammed his shoulder into Sylus as he walked by, making him drop the trinket that he was fidgeting with.
"If it were up to me, I would have thrown her to the street too," Sebastian said, following after his sister.
Sylus bent over and grabbed his trinket, noticing a crack in it; he frowned before tucking it away into his pocket.
Ava's face was bright red, her fists clenched. "Sylus, have I ever mentioned that I hate them!?" She grumbled aloud.
"Quite a few times, Ava," he said while adjusting his glasses. "And for once I can agree with you."
They both exhaled at the same time. They smiled at me again before heading in. Following them, I walked slowly into the massive hall. It was massive; marble pillars towered within it. Gold lined the walls, and a giant glass picture that depicted a knight and mage filled the roof. I looked around in amazement, but noticed the four nobles walking quickly through the hall toward a desk at the end; I caught up.
Other than the five of us, the enormous hall was strangely empty. Walking up to Ava, I stood next to her.
"Isn't this amazing..." I said aloud.
Ava slowed for a second, looking at me. She giggled slightly. "Yes, I guess it's alright. My family home has a hall like this, just around triple the size and the glass mural is of a nature dragon bringing life to an entire region."
I looked at her, dumbfounded.
"Triple..."
She laughed. "Yes, triple."
She turned away. I followed her gaze; her brother had wandered over to a wall and was examining the symbols upon it.
She sighed. "Go on ahead; I'll catch up... I need to deal with him."
I shrugged and nodded, walking forward through the hall. Looking back, I laughed slightly.
"Sylus! Now is not the time to be nerding out about the walls!" Ava yelled, grabbing him by the ear and pulling him.
"But the stability and strength runes are so interesting! Wait, ouch, Ava, stop!" he yelled as she dragged him away. "One more look, please!"
His hand reached out, but Ava pulled it back.
"No!"
Sylus's shoulders slumped as his sister pulled him along.
Reaching the end of the hall, I stood in a small line behind Sebastian. Ersa waited to the side, already completing the sign-in. I glanced over at Ersa; she glared back. I shivered slightly.
She's so scary...
"Is that a teleportation array!?" Sylus shouted behind me, pointing at a massive opening at the end of the hall.
He tried to dash out, but Ava grabbed him. "Later, let's sign in first."
He sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Yes, I guess that makes sense. I'll see you soon." His hand extended towards the rune before Ava slapped it down.
"So weird..." Sebastian mumbled as he moved out of the line.
Stepping forward, my eyes met the clerks.
"Name?" she asked.
"Luna Ashvale."
"Ashvale...Ashvale... Ashvale. Ah, there it is." Her hand traced a list, flipping pages until she checked off my name.
"You will be in room W-99 in Asteria Hall. You'll have one roommate... ohh, interesting..." She paused slightly as she read my information.
"Just to confirm, not a noble, correct?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Very interesting indeed." She smiled. "If you pass the assessment, that will be your official room for as long as you're at Crownspire Academy."
She gave me a key and a campus map.
"What is your level, the skills you currently have, and your magical affinity, if you have one?" My heart raced. I gulped slightly.
Just like you practiced with Roderic, don't say Demonic Regeneration! And only say a few of the learnable skills that I have obtained, not the ones I got through gluttony. Focus!
"Level 6. I have three passive skills: Swordsmanship level six, Mana Control Level five, Mana Perception level five, and my intrinsic skill is Enhanced Regeneration level nine... And my magical Affinity is Demonic," I whispered slightly.
She wrote the information on a piece of paper, hesitating while I finished speaking, her eyes meeting mine. Slowly, she placed an emblem on the paper, which glowed slightly.
"Crownspire rules are quite simple." She handed me a list.
1. Noble rank, wealth, race, and family status grant no authority over other students.
2. Academy identification must be carried at all times. Lethal combat is forbidden outside legitimate self-defence.
3. Duels must take place in approved training areas. Weapons are permitted but must remain secured outside combat zones.
4. Offensive or dangerous magic may only be used in designated areas. Summons, familiars, and bonded creatures must be registered.
5. Tampering with rune arrays, barriers, or academy infrastructure is strictly forbidden. Obey restricted-area and dungeon limitations.
6. Theft, sabotage, harassment, and deliberate destruction of property are prohibited.
7. Mental control or coercive abilities may not be used on students without consent or legitimate combat justification.
8. Dangerous magical research requires academy approval. Students are responsible for the actions and consequences of their abilities.
"The first rule is generally true, but status is still very important, so just be careful," she said.
"Oh, and it doesn't say on there, but you can enter a dungeon by yourself or with a party as long as you stay within the designated floor for your level. "
She handed me an emblem with a sword and staff intersecting. "That is your candidate emblem." She tapped on it.
A blue screen popped up.
Name: LunaLevel: 6Family: AshvaleMagical Affinity: Demonic
Skills:
Intrinsic Skills:Enhanced Regeneration Lv9
Passive Skills:Swordsmanship Lv6Mana Control Lv5Mana Perception Lv5
"It's just like your status, but you can update it as your skills develop. And you can show it to the people around you if you like as well," she said.
"The candidate emblem is temporary; if you make it into the Academy, you will get your official student identification. It functions the same, but it also allows you to get into the dungeons across the campus without having an instructor unlock it for you."
I looked at the blue screen in front of me and tapped the emblem; it disappeared. "What if I go too deep?"
"The student identification can also track your kills and how easily you handle certain monsters. If it thinks that you are too weak for a certain floor, the ID will forcefully teleport you back and lock you out of the dungeons for the next day."
I looked at the emblem. "How can it teleport someone?"
"The entire academy and all its dungeons are connected to a massive teleportation array. Each ID is connected to the array, allowing it to teleport you back to a designated location. They do need a day to cool down, which is why it locks you out of the dungeons"
"I see... Thank you."
"You will receive your uniform if you pass. Good luck, Ms Ashvale." She waved me to the side. "Once everyone has finished checking in, you can enter the teleportation array."
Moving to the side, I stepped in front of Ersa. She stood next to the desk, looking at me. Sebastian was already standing near the array, resting his head against the wall.
"Show me your system right now," Ersa demanded.
I looked at her, slightly confused.
"Why?"
"Because I want to see for myself..." She said, pausing for a moment.
Sighing, I tapped on the emblem. It only had what I chose it to have. The blue screen popped up. She read it quickly, her eyes scanning across each line. "Demonic... I didn't mishear," she mumbled.
I hesitated slightly. "Is something wrong with that?"
"Yeah, how can a commoner like you get such a cool magical affinity!" She yelled out, crossing her arms slightly.
"Hm, can I see your system then?" I asked.
She huffed and tapped her emblem; a blue screen popped up.
Name: ErsaLevel: 7Family: WintermereMagical Affinity: Ice / Wind
Skills:
Intrinsic Skills:Frozen Core Lv7
Passive Skills:Mana Control Lv8Mana Perception Lv7Wandmanship Lv6
I read her system, my eyes lighting up. She fidgeted slightly as I observed slowly. As I finished, my hands shot up and grabbed hers. My eyes met hers, my face getting slightly closer to hers.
"You have two affinities!? How does that work? I thought that was super rare!?"
She faltered as I got closer, her eyes closing slightly. She turned her head away, a small red glow appearing on her face.
My eyes sparkled, and my body reacted before I could stop it. Her hands were cold to the touch; my face froze as I realized what I had just done. Quickly letting go of her hands, I backed up slightly.
"Sorry."
"No-um, it's okay; it just surprised me," she said quietly, stumbling over herself slightly.
"Yeah, having two affinities is pretty rare... But it's not that complicated."
"It mostly means I can use magic from either affinity. And if they're compatible enough, I can combine them too!" She said, forming a ball of ice in her right hand and a ball of swirling wind in her left. Excitedly, she pushed them together.
I watched as the wind seemed to freeze and the ball vibrate.
"It's pretty cool; I bet someone like you couldn't fathom having two affinities," she finished smugly, dispersing her magic.
I smiled enthusiastically, my crimson eyes meeting her icy blue ones. "That's so cool! You're so lucky; I wish I had two, but I guess Demonic is cool as well!"
She looked at her feet for a moment before bowing slightly, her smugness fading. "Thank you. Demonic is cool; I will admit it."
She looked at Sebastian, who now looked like he had fallen asleep. She had her hands clasped behind her back. "Oh, my brother's calling me. I'll be over there..."
She ran quickly towards her brother, kicking him awake before whispering in his ear.
"Ok... I guess," I giggled.
He definitely was not calling you... Ha!
Tapping me on my shoulder, I turned around.
"So you're going to show Ersa your system and not me!" Ava teased.
Smiling, I tapped on the crest again. The screen appeared, and Ava skimmed through it.
"Ohh, you're strong and Demonic; that's a rare affinity!"
She excitedly asked me a lot of questions about it. Answering the best that I could, I revealed that I only knew three spells and that I would show her later if she would like.
She tapped on her emblem. "You better show me later!" she yelled out, her face slightly red.
Name: AvaLevel: 7Family: VaelmontMagical Affinity: Nature
Skills:
Intrinsic Skills:Living Mana Lv7
Passive Skills:Mana Control Lv8Mana Perception Lv7Staffmanship Lv4
Reading through her, my eyes lit up once again.
"Nature! Awesome!" I bounced up excitedly, leaning in to see her system better.
"I've never been in the same room as so many mages before. You show me your spells later too, okay!"
She nodded. "I will if you do too!"
"I promise!" I yelled out.
"Me too!" Ava responded.
"Your skill levels are so high... But what is LivingMana?" I asked.
"Well... my mana behaves almost like it's alive. It synchronizes with living things really easily, especially plants. Mana I put into something living also stays there much longer than normal."
I tilted my head. "So that's good?"
"Usually! It makes Nature magic much easier to maintain, and I can do more complicated things with living material. Controlling it can still be annoying sometimes, though..."
I nodded quickly.
Behind Ava, Sylus appeared. "Does anyone want to see my system?" he asked.
I raised my hand, but Ava knocked it down. "Sylus, no one wants to see your system; it's all artisan skills!"
"I wanna se-" I was saying before Ava cut me off.
"No, Luna! You do not want to see it, because if you get him started, he won't stop!"
His shoulders slumped, and his face fell
"Sylus, look, it's the teleportation array." Ava reminded Sylus when she saw him frown.
His head shot up, and his face brightened. He adjusted his glasses and straightened up.
"You're right, Ava; we can talk later. This is more important! Thank you for reminding me!" he shouted as he speed-walked towards the runes before leaning down and examining them closely.
"No problem!" she yelled out, but he was already gone.
I laughed. "You two are so funny!"
Ava met my eyes. "You mean I'm funny," she said seriously.
I froze slightly, but after staring at each other for a few seconds, she burst out laughing.
I laughed with her, harder than I ever remembered laughing before. Breathing heavily, Sebastian's voice rang out.
"Can we go now?" he asked, glaring at Ava and me.
Ava glared back.
"No patience, much?" she questioned him.
"Not really. I'm trying to get to the campus," he sneered.
"Yeah, hurry up!" Ersa added.
Shrugging, I walked towards the teleportation array. Ava followed behind me. A small step led up to it; hopping up, I stood beside Ersa. The air around me suddenly dropped in temperature, causing me to shiver slightly.
"Hey, clerk, how do we start this thing?" Sebastian asked rudely.
"Sir Wintermere, there is still one candidate expected to arrive soon; you can leave once they arrive," the clerk responded with a small smile.
"One more? Who?" Sebastian grumbled.
We all looked at each other except for Sylus, who was on his knees feeling the bottom of the array.
A light shone through the hall as the door opened at its entrance. A figure obscured by the sun walked in. The sound of something sliding against the ground, followed by footsteps, echoed through the massive hall.