20 Ch. 20: The Academy [1]
A/N:
Welcome to the 2nd arc.
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**AYC 554
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White hair gleamed in the sunlight, it fluttered gently, dancing along the wind. A boy was seen leaning against the window sill with arms folded. He eyed the purple book that lay on the desk in front of him. It was the book given by Nathaniel.
In the past two years, Adrian read countless history books. He visited the Empress and the Emperor's library, but none of them connected to the Void History.
However, there were still two distinguished libraries left to stop by, the academy and the Tower. Whether the book contained truth or lies, he would find out after visiting them.
–Knock –Knock –Knock
Knocks resounded throughout the space, followed by Fredinand's voice, "Your Highness, this is Fredinand."
Glancing toward the door, Adrian answered, "Enter."
The door creaked and an old man entered the room. Arriving before him, he bowed, "The preparations are complete and Her Majesty is waiting."
Adrian nodded, "I understand."
Straightening his posture, he walked toward the desk and put the book into his Magical Sphere. They exited the room and headed toward the entrance hall. Along the way, several maids and butlers bent their backs as he passed by.
It was still fresh in his memory how they struggled to adjust due to the stark contrasting personalities between him and the original Adrian. But over time, they adapted and eventually accepted him; the new Adrian.
Upon arriving, a blonde-haired woman was seen having a conversation with Marie. Aerilyn turned and the moment their blue eyes locked each other, her lips curved upward.
Adrian and Fredinand bowed, "I greet the Empress of Aeon Empire."
"You may rise."
They straightened their backs and she immediately embraced him.
"Ah, I can't believe my son will be away from me for three years!" Aerilyn conveyed her sadness as her hand gently stroked his locks.
In the Empire, there was a rule that when children reached the age of 9, they were obliged to attend the Academy for 3 years. And today was Adrian's departure to the Academy.
"Don't worry, Mom, I'll call you," Adrian patted her on the back, reassuring her.
Releasing her embrace, she asked, "It's a promise, right?"
"Of course," Adrian nodded and let out a smile.
Aerilyn reciprocated his smile and caressed his face before smooching his cheeks in turns. Somehow, he got used to the way his mother treated him and to be honest, it wasn't that bad. Also, thanks to her, now he knew what it felt like to have a mother.
Aerilyn hugged him one more time and landed a kiss on his forehead, "I wish you a safe trip."
"Thank you."
After bidding farewell, he entered the carriage and waved his hand. Aerilyn waved back and soon the carriage began to move.
Resting his back on the couch, Adrian crossed his arms and legs. His eyes darted at the faraway sky outside the window with a face devoid of any expression, and his mind flew.
'Four years…'
He only had four years left before his fateful day came.
Adrian looked at his [STATUS WINDOWS].
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[ Adrian Leillucis ]
« Overview »
Title: The Second Prince of the Aeon Empire
Race: Human
Age: 9 year-old
Gender: Male
Occupation: Elementalist - lv.5
« Character Statistic »
»Physical:
STR: C+
PDF: C+
TLT: B-
AGI: B-
»Magical:
MAG: A+
MDF: S-
»Ability:
INT: S+
MP: S-
« Elemental Affinity »
Water: SS
Fire: SS
Lightning: SS
Earth: SS
Wind: SS
« Skills »
[ Incantation ]
Description: Raises the speed of spell-casting.
Rank: SS
[ Sword of Elemental ]
Description: Able to imbed all Elementals into a weapon.
Rank: C+
« Gifts »
» Chrono's Blessing: [Future] - "The Foreseer"
» Eyes of the Truth: Able to see other people's Status Window.
=====
Apart from attending Martial Arts classes, he still did his secret exercises and even asked Fredinand to teach him. Nonetheless, all of that did not give him the significant improvement he hoped for.
That was due to Adrian's premature birth—which slowed down his physical progress. And because of it, he had to work twice as hard just to raise his Physical Stats.
Simply put, he had done everything he could for his survival. And it would doubtlessly be a pain in the ass if he were killed by the protagonist. Now that he talked about it, Adrian hadn't had any contact with Nathaniel since the last time they met. But for him, it was for the best.
He had involved himself in politics in his previous life—thanks to his mission, and honestly speaking, the people in it were disgusting beyond imagination. He learned about the power struggle between the Lancaster and Delacroix families, and Adrian thought that the politics of the two worlds weren't much different.
Although, it was true that Nathaniel was kind to him. But as both of them were in the line of succession and amplified by Adrian's fate in the novel, he found it hard to get along with him.
Living in a world where politics revolved, trust was something hard to do because you never knew when your allies were going to stab you in the back. Many medieval histories showed him that sometimes trust could lead to downfall and death was no exception.
Was he being too cautious? Adrian didn't care. Better safe than sorry.
He took out a history book and decided to read to kill some time.
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The Arcanist Arts Academy. It was the most prestigious institution in the Terra Continent. The academy was located in a grand castle, nestled in Agatha, the capital city of the Aeon Empire.
Established centuries ago, the academy was renowned for its rigorous curriculum. During the period of 3 years, the students would be taught various subjects, including magic, combat, politics, and history.
Many merchants and nobles children from neighboring Kingdoms also attended this academy. Or it was more likely that their parents were looking for opportunities to build networks and alliances using their offspring.
Indistinctive clatter filled the air as the Academy courtyard was packed with people. Today was the Academy's enrollment day.
–Clack –Clack –Clack
Four majestic white horses were drawn in a luxurious carriage decorated with intricate gold and silver details.
–Neigh!
The coachman parked in front of the academy entrance gate and soon the crowd's eyes landed on it. The carriage was grandiose and aesthetically pleasing, it looked as if the owners wanted to show off their endless wealth.
They could only cluck their tongues in awe. As they were curious about who it was, the Imperial pennant that flapped on top of the carriage gave away the riders' identity.
"Is it the Second Prince?"
They had heard rumors that he would be enrolled this year and it seemed to be true.
An old man dressed in a butler suit approached and opened the door. Soon a white-haired boy dressed in regal attire descended from the carriage. The buzzing sound of the mob subsided and changed into dead silence upon seeing his striking appearance.
It was the Second Prince's first appearance in public.
Adrian swept the surroundings and he could see how their eyes fixated on him. White hair was the Leillucis descendant trait and when one tugged their head to the public, it would easily attract unwanted attention—like this.
He sighed inwardly and he decided to ignore them, instructing Fredinand, "Lead the way."
"As you wish," Fredinand led in the front and Adrian followed behind.
Their footsteps echoed and when they walked, the crowd quickly took steps back to create a clear path for them. Who would have thought a scene that you would only see in shoujo anime unfold before his eyes? It was dramatic and lame at the same time.
However, there was someone who did not bother to move. He stands tall and confident, with broad shoulders and a lean, muscular build. His jet-black hair glistened under the sun and his golden eyes shone as bright as ambers.
The corner of his mouth tugged up wryly as he gazed at him, "What a grand entrance."
Of course, it was a sarcastic joke, regardless, Adrian responded to it, "Thank you?"
Hearing his little brother answer, Nathaniel couldn't help but chuckle, "Pfft, ahaha. It's just sarcasm, you don't have to answer it."
Just like him, he also seemed unaffected by the throng.
As soon as he suppressed his laugh, Nathaniel ultimately let out a benign smile, "Long time no see."
Adrian nodded, "Long time no see."
Same as attending the Martial Arts class, the student's royal title did not apply here either. The moment Nathaniel saw his indifferent face and cold cerulean eyes, he realized that Adrian had not regained his memories.
Disappointment crept within him, but he decided to brush it off as he didn't want to spoil the mood. "Then, should I show you around the academy?"
"I'd appreciate that."
With that, Adrian and Nathaniel walk side by side. The masses split like a magnet pulling them apart, allowing them to pass through unimpeded.
"So, how are you?"
"Pretty good."
"I'm glad."
They continued to converse and Fredinand decided to separate because he had to complete Adrian's registration paperwork.
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"Here." Nathaniel handed Adrian a bottle of juice.
Adrian received it, "Thank you." He opened the lid and drank it.
Amidst his drinking, Adrian peeked at Nathaniel from the corners of his eyes, studying his [STATUS WINDOW].
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[ Nathaniel Leillucis ]
« Overview »
Title: The First Prince of the Aeon Empire
Race: Human
Age: 11 year-old
Gender: Male
Occupation: Swordman - Lv. 5
« Character Statistic »
»Physical:
STR: A
PDF: A-
TLT: A+
AGI: A-
»Magical:
MAG: B+
MDF: B
»Ability:
INT: A+
MP: B
« Elemental Affinity »
Water: -
Fire: C
Lightning: E
Earth: C
Wind: B
« Skills »
[ Incantation ]
Description: Raises the speed of spell-casting.
Rank: B-
[ Wind Blade ]
Description: Able to imbed Wind Elementals into a weapon.
Rank: A+
« Gifts »
» Chrono's Blessing: [Past] - "The Returnee"
» Enigma: Raises all Physical Statistics by 3 ranks.
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Nevertheless, Adrian couldn't help but click his tongue in annoyance inwardly. Just look at him, the protagonist was only 11 years old yet his Physical Stat rank average was A. If Nathaniel activated his Gift, then his rank would be around S rank.
'An S rank versus a C rank…' Adrian cut off his thought. Even without further explanation, the result was obvious. Putting everything aside, Adrian drank the water to cleanse his mind.
Their little tour had ended and they were currently sitting on a bench in the Academy's inner courtyard. Luckily there were fewer people here which was good.
Adrian distanced the bottle from his mouth and gazed at a magnificent water fountain in front of them. The sound of the water cascading down the fountain's tiers somehow brought tranquility and serenity.
As the silence continued, Nathaniel broke it, "Hey, why don't you join the Student Council?"
Adrian glanced at him. Little thing he knew, Nathaniel was the Student Council President of the Academy and without beating around the bush, he replied firmly. "No."
Adrian didn't have time for such things.
Nathaniel rolled his eyes in boredom, "Tsk. My little brother is no fun."
Adrian shrugged nonchalantly, "But if it's going to make me graduate early, I'll consider it."
It was true that nobles were required to attend the academy for 3 years, but that didn't rule out the possibility of graduating early.
Nathaniel nodded his head in understanding, "So you decided to graduate early, huh?"
"Yes."
Nathaniel nodded his head in understanding, "In two years, right?"
Adrian shook his head, correcting him, "In a year."
As he was racing against time, Adrian planned to graduate in one year—more than that was unforgivable. Yet, the black-haired tween looked at him in astonishment before his face crooked weirdly, and burst out laughing.
"Ahahaha!"
Adrian patiently waited but the end of his laughter was nowhere to be seen.
"Ahahaha!"
The more Adrian heard his guffawed, the more it grated his nerves. His lips were trembling with annoyance and for the first time in his life, Adrian wanted to punch someone so badly. In the end, he decided to ignore him.
Noticing his little brother's sour mood, Nathaniel extended his hand but Adrian instinctively smacked it away, causing Nathaniel's laughter to come to an abrupt stop with surprise painted on his face.
Upon realizing his mistake, Adrian hastily apologized, "I'm sorry."
The thing was, Fredinand taught him about sensitivity, and unbeknownst to him, he thwarted Nathaniel's hand away. Thanks to him, now the mood was ruined.
Nevertheless, Nathaniel forced out a smile and shrugged, "No one has graduated in a year, even the fastest record is two years. But I'll cheer for you."
"Thanks." Adrian knew, Nathaniel tried to alleviate the awkward atmosphere but it was still there.
"Ian…"
He turned and—
"Ah!" A shriek escaped Adrian's mouth as his body swung sideways; his neck was encircled by Nathaniel's arm.
"You little brat! Just let me pet you dammit!"
Adrian had no idea what was going on; it happened so fast he didn't have time to react at all and Nathaniel started tousling his white hair.
"Stop it!" Adrian tried to get away but to no avail—their gap of strength was way too great, "You're hurting me!"
Nathaniel paused and squinted his eyes for evidence that Adrian was harmed, but what he found was his brother's annoyingly unfazed face, causing his annoyance to soar. "You little imp! How dare you deceive me!"
And Nathaniel mercilessly ruffled his head once again.
"Waaahhh!"
