Chapter 15

Vittoria City was a territory in the Kingdom of Neigal located on the border with the Argaint Kingdom and the Aurelia Kingdom. Vittoria is a growing city, not a big one like Moissan or Dugald. The area was originally a small city but slowly grew after the Piqmentia Grand Academy was built. The entire city infrastructure is changed to support the safety and comfort of life.

After Ziel and the others traveled for a whole day, they finally arrived at their destination. They arrived at the location of the Piqmentia Grand Academy. Even though the city doesn't look as busy as Moissan, the arrangement of every building there is neatly made so that it looks more orderly and beautiful.

Ziel and the others headed to the academy building on their horse carriage. It is located right in the center of Vittoria city. First, Ziel and Clara must register because today is the last day of enrollment. After all, the entrance exam will be held tomorrow.

The carriage that Ziel and the others were riding stopped after arriving at their destination. Clara was the first to make a sound as they stepped out of the carriage.

"Waah... This is amazing! This academy looks so high and majestic. I can't wait to study in this place and become a great mage!" Clara shouted excitedly. She was amazed when she saw the academy building.

Even though they were still in front of the gate and hadn't stepped inside to look closely at it, they could admire the magnificent sight outside. Not far ahead of them stood seven giant towers of different colors. The seven towers surround a dome-shaped building in the center. The place has mixed colors from the seven towers around it.

It was the first time Clara saw such a building, and her eyes lit up with awe. In contrast, Ziel didn't care about that and instead looked bored. Beatrix had seen the building several times before and smiled when she saw Clara's reaction.

"The seven towers are called the seven Sky Guardian Towers, and the big building in the middle is called the SkyDome." Beatrix started to explain about the building in front of them.

"Sky Guardian?" Ziel subconsciously asked after hearing that absurd name.

"Yes, I know what you're thinking. The name of this tower may sound arrogant. But if you pay close attention, the seven giant towers look as if they support the sky above them." Beatrix pointed towards the tip of the tower.

Tenku looked where he was pointing, and he had to admit his words made sense. He discovered that the seven peaks of the tower seemed to be in direct contact with the clouds and became pillars supporting the sky.

"Then, where will we study? Is it in that dome-shaped building in the middle?" Clara suddenly asked a question while admiring the splendor and beauty of the tower. She brought her face closer to Beatrix and looked very curious.

"Didn't I already tell you? You must pass the academy's entrance exam first if you want to know about it." Beatrix smiled slightly at Clara and flicked her forehead.

"Argh... Yes... I understand! But can you tell me about that? I knew that later or now, it wouldn't make any difference because I would pass the test and be accepted by the academy." Clara rubbed her forehead in pain. But then she looked at Beatrix and said confidently.

"All right, I'll explain it a little to you. Actually, without me needing to tell you about it, you'll find out when you get accepted into the academy and get the student manual book." Beatrix smiled and stroked Clara's head. After that, they walked towards the registration area in Skydom.

"So we must pass a test to know more about the academy." Clara muttered while tapping her lips with her finger. She wondered if it was okay for Beatrix to tell them even though they weren't accepted into the academy yet. But Beatrix seemed fine about it and started her explanation.

"That golden tower..." Beatrix pointed to one of the towers and explained about each one. He summarized it as very detailed and brief so as not to waste their time.

Seven Sky Guardian

The Golden Tower : Where students learn swordsmanship

The Silver Tower  : Where students learn magic

The Red Tower  : Where students study alchemy

The Blue Tower  : Where students learn blacksmithing and magic tool creation.

The Green Tower  : Where the academy's library is located and contains books on various disciplines, especially magic, martial arts, alchemy, and blacksmithing

The Black Tower  : Dormitory for male students

The White Tower  : Dormitory for female students

SkyDome  : a large multipurpose hall as a venue for certain events or duels. The teacher's and principals' offices are located there. It also has a special room for storing magic tools, weapons, and potions produced from the red and blue towers.

Beatrix stopped her explanation of the seven towers and the SkyDome. After hearing that, Clara nodded like a chicken pecking grain. Soon they arrived at the door of the building.

Looking closely, Ziel felt the building had a powerful barrier magic stronger than the 'Dark Legacy' organization's cave hideout. He also knew a powerful barrier was protecting the academy, but it was being deactivated for now. When they opened the large door and entered the building, they were greeted by a long line of people waiting in line.

"It looks like we're a little late." Beatrix sighed heavily at the queue before her. The queue might not have been that long if they had come earlier. Thousands of people lined up to apply to the academy and take the entrance exam, be they nobles, royalty, merchants, or commoners. They mixed in the place, and the hall felt lively.

"How long do we have to wait for the queue to run out?" Clara's face turned pale when she saw the sight.

"I don't know how long it will take. But since it's the last day of enrollment, like it or not, we also have to join the queue." Beatrix sighed and said helplessly.

"Auntie, can't you use your status as a teacher so we can register without waiting in line?" Clara looked at Beatrix with a pitiful face.

"You already know that status can't be used here even though I'm a teacher in this academy." Beatrix shook her head at Clara's request. Then the queue began to move forward little by little. They suddenly heard a scream behind them as they focused on the queue ahead. Clara and Ziel saw a boy with short golden hair and a luxurious robe trampling another boy under his feet.

"I already told you I am a noble! Why am I waiting in line with commoners like you!" The golden-haired boy kicked the boy on the floor in the stomach.

"You want to take over my queue just because you're the son of a noble! Don't you know that your status is meaningless here!?" The trampled boy shouted at The golden-haired boy. He gritted his teeth in pain from the kick.

"You dare to answer my words!" The golden-haired boy took out a short magic wand from inside his robe. Then four magic circles appeared on his body, and he pointed his wand at the boy lying on the floor. The people standing near them frantically dodged to avoid being hit by the attack.

[Fire Bullets]

The golden-haired boy shot fire bullets at the boy's head. But a thin barrier formed and protected him before the attack hit him.

"Stop!" Screams echoed throughout the hall, accompanied by the pressure that made it difficult for them to breathe.

"Ughh... Who are you!? How dare you interfere with my business! Don't you know who I am!? I am Simon Voskila! I am the Son of Duke Voskila of the Aurelia Kingdom!" Simon shouted and looked around for the person who had blocked his attack.

As Ziel waited silently in line, he suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked at a corner of the hall. The space in that place distorted, and a middle-aged man with long black hair neatly tied up appeared. He held a long silver scepter and decorated it with four colored crystals. He walked slowly and approached Simon.

"I don't care who you are. But when you're here, you have to obey the rules. Whether you're a noble or a king." The person stared intently at Simon, who was kneeling due to the pressure from him.

"I am the son of Duke Voskila in the Aurelia Kingdom!" Simon is still trying to stand up against the pressure. But the more he resisted, the stronger the coercion.

"Hahaha... I'm the one who has full authority here. If you don't like it, please get out of here." The man retracted his pressure and walked away from the place.

Simon's face turned pale after hearing what the middle-aged man said before he left. The person with the highest authority in the academy is the principal, chosen and recognized directly by the five kings. A sage who had the same power as them. He was Merlick Donovan, independent and not affiliated with any kingdom.

Simon stood up, cleaned his clothes, and queued in the back row. Even though he looked calm, sweat flowed profusely from his forehead.

"The principal had to bother showing up to stop him." Beatrix muttered after seeing Merlick disappear from the hall.

"He is the principal of this academy? Is he strong?" Clara asked curiously.

"Of course, he can't be recognized by the five kings if he's weak." Beatrix nodded and stroked Clara's head.

After Merlick left, Ziel turned his eyes to the farthest corner of the hall. He saw a woman with purple hair standing in a line.

"What is a fallen god doing in this place?" Ziel narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice.