17. The Start Of A New Arc

Well actually it wasn't really the academy already. Or is it even the academy of Hannan.

A year before my departure I had a talk with the King.

"Your Majesty!"

"What brings you here Ryu?"

"I would like to request admission into Valhalla's academy."

And so as I thought that such a thing would be easy, I was then let down.

I still do not know everyrhing about the world. I only knew Hannan's and the Ygrill countries history when master was still ruling over it. And the most inportant one...

"Ryu, you might now know, but even I won't be able to that easily?"

"What how?"

"Couldn't you just stay here."

"But your Majesty, I know that you are already aware of my achievements. This country, don't take it as an insult, cannot contain my abilities."

"I know, but Valhalla's only academy that can match your genius is something even I will not have an easy time doing so."

"But why..."

After some time...

"You will have to work on yourself. Sorry that the best I could give you is a testee rights."

"That is already enough, even if I am treated as a commoner."

I bowed and left.

***

Valhalla, a country so strong no other nation in the entire continent would even dare to have the thought of taking it down.

It is a country no one has ever defeated a single time ever since it was established.

And in rumors, it even truly rulled the world pulling every strings to even the wars if other countries.

And to understand why Ryu couldn't be directly admitted to Valhalla's elite academy, even with a countries King's recomnedation, is... well to understand better, you should kearn about the world.

The Continent, with it's name of being the Famtasy World*

It is not stupidly named by the father and giving it "World" in it's name if it was just a part of a gigantic planet or world.

And the reason for that is for you to understand from it's own shape, dynamics, and more importantly the ocean.

Valhalla covers land bigger than any country on the Continent. And so the continent was actually huge.

And this would make more sense as the ocean... as this world... was flat...

At the north and east of the Continent was an edge that had water falling at the "edge" of the world. It was real and the world was truly flat.

But on the south and west part of the continent laid something different.

It was a huge barrier that stopped anyone from crossing it, never even seeing anything through.

It was a barrier that was so well made that no one who ever studied it, even the strongest mages in history has never been able to figure out the barrier's true source and the way to break it.

It was a barrier that ran long above and deep underground. What ever anyone did, it was something no one could ever decipher.

And so it was clear, the continent, no, the world was just that. And it made sense. It was vast, so vast it spand tens and thousands of miles. A size truly remarkable just for a straight and plane land with no such round dynamics.

But what does that have to do with Valhalla? Well simple, it is the country that owns more than 1/8th of the worlds land when there are lore rhan 10 countries on the world.

With a military that no one would dare defeat. Economy that makes all of it's nobles richer than even countries. And a population in the billions.

Valhalla was not just a simple country, it was another world fro anyone outside it.

And so that is why, even a king like Leon can't make such an impact. Despite being a country itself, in the face if such powerz even a country is nothing.

Leon, had no chance of ever admitting someone at that country's most prestigous school in the world.

So, Ryu was then given just a simple letter that could at least let him take a test. But of course for someone like him, such a thing won't even matter.

***

The travel from Hannan to Valhalla was quite long. Even with a carriage that is enhanced through some tamer mages, the journey would still take roughly two months.

A long time for anyone who can't waste a single time. But Ryu had no choice, and even then, after arriving he still needed to wait longer.

As to join the academy, the age of 7 must be reached. But as of right now, Ryu was just 6 yesrs and 3 months old.

And at the same time, the admission ir start of school was at the beggining of the year. Making Ryu live in a city of Valhalla for much longer and maybe even work for a living.

"Start the first night camp!"

But before that, Ryu has just started his journey, and has started his first night outside a room and in the wild.

"Prince you shouldn't be outside!"

Ryu was layinf down on the grass despite having a portable bed with him to sleep on every single night.

"I prefer the nature."

That one single answer inspired a lot of the people in his escort, making them think that this prince was truly pro-commoner.

Ryu had body gaurds and an entire escort for a very valuable item.

With 32 Royak Knights, and 6 Royal Mages, and lastly 10 Taming Mages that enhances the horses speed and replinish their energy.

And so the entire night went by with Ryu sleeping on the grass. But he was then awoke not from anything weird this time. It wss the contant bumping he was feeling.

He was teansported into the cart without his wheel the time he was sleeping. Even when he was almost about to get mad he just controlls it. It was one simple mistake anyone can just accidentally do. Well not really but let it be.

And so Ryu's day consisted of travel, travel, travel and then sleep. This would later stop at the 7th day mark when they all finally got into a city of Hannan, the only city and last they would see.

It was Helder, the most edge city of Hannan and also a fortress of war against two other countries.

What awaited Ryu was not a fun and relaxing rest. But of course he couldn't waste much time in this place. So as a measurement, Ryu tried his best to hide themselves in the city to avoid any conflicts.

But in a city filled with more than half being soldiers it is kind of hard to keep yourself hidden.

"Charles!"

A man at the gate of the city came rushing to Ryu's caravan. He was waving and calling the name of one of the knights in Ryu's escort.

"I'm so sorry Prince."

Ryu sighed and said... "I guess we can take a detour, it wouldn't be so bad to have war as my first outdoor experience."

No one understood what the end of that sentence meant but they did understand that the Prince said it was ok.

The knight explained everything to the gaurd that ran straight to them. After doing so the gaurd was so surpirsed he wanted to kill himslef. But that was just a small mishap.

After a couple minutes they were finally inside the city.

The capital of Hannan was huge and filled with many mansions of nobles and was filled with tons of trading. But that was mostly it, there was not even an academy at the capital as the capital was mostly used as the main income of the country as it's main trading city.

But unlike the Capital, the city of Helder was not a trading city, it was a fortress. But at the same time was still a city. The walls of the city was fortified with tons of weapons and the city was covered with 3 layers of offensive barriers that is used to attack not defend.

Why it was not s defensive barrier was a question for Ryu to find out.

But at the same time, the city just looked like any city filled with tons of houses. But, there was one thing Ryu, didn't know about this city.

"Prince, did you know that one of your borthers govern this city?"

"What?"

Well all he did was study magic, sword, and past history, so of course its not like he actually knows anything about the current world.

"Who is it?"

"The 15th Prince, Radil."

Ryu hasn't heard much about his siblings. In his six years of life, he was so protected he wasn't able to meet the princes and princesses. Despite their number.

"I would like to meet him."

And so, Ryu was actually excited to meet his brother. To the point he forgot, despite the none existent drama the series has ever showed, in reality things still happen as it is a real world.

By exposing himself to another Prince, the news that the 36th Prince being outside his palace would reach everyone and spread around the entire country.

No one other than the closest to the King knows thst the 36th Prince is actually the real crown Prince. Nor that he was actually that talented. All they knew was that he had a huge problem as a child that caused him to stay at the palace foreever.

"But Prince, if someone learns you are..."

"Don't worry about it, I won't be in the country anyway."

"But pri-"

"The main thing about exposing myself is being targeted, but if i'm not even at the country then how will they attack me."

"You make a-"

"And it's not like they can even attack the King, they are all too busy with the war."

"..."

Ryu might not know much about the present history. But he did know there has been war between two countries that worked together to take over Hannan. But the countries were not winning at all, actually it was Hannan that was winning and expanding it's country every second that passes.

Ryu was lead to the hourse of the 15th Prince. It was the training ground of the soldiers that protect the city.

The city of Helder was a fortress city and also a training ground for many knights and soldiers drafted to war. And as this city is one of the main army sources of the country, the one who rules over it, should be someone incredibly powerful.

***

"Radil..., someone wants to meet you."

"Who is it?"

"He claims to be the 36th Prince..."

"What!"