Academy

In the heart of the Evergreen Empire, nestled amidst a boundless expanse of enchanting woodland, lies the grandeur of the capital, Myriad Leaves Royal City. A sprawling metropolis where time intertwines with nature.

Towering ancient trees, their gnarled branches reaching for the heavens, formed a natural canopy over cobblestone streets. The ethereal energies reverberated through the city, weaving tales of forgotten magic into its very fabric. The splendid capital converged wonders of the natural world, the complexity of civilization, and the secrets of a magical realm in harmonious splendor.

Grandiose buildings with facades of enchanted stone rise from the cobblestone streets, adorned with ornate wrought-iron balconies and windows framed in intricate filigree. Street lamps, their glow tinged with an iridescent shimmer, cast a gentle, warm radiance along the avenues during the night.

Bridges spanning the city's crystalline rivers are suspended by invisible threads of enchantment, and the chimneys of charming homes release whimsical spirals of colored smoke into the air, each hue a message or past.

Myriad Leaves Royal City's colossal walls, hewn from enchanted forest stones and entwined with ancient trees, create an impenetrable and mystical fortress around the capital, ensuring both protection and wonder.

There, the ordinary and the extraordinary converged, creating an architectural marvel where the mundane and the magical dance in harmony, making it a city with the power to surprise any first-timer.

There was an old tale circulating the empire that the first emperor, the mighty and resourceful Karth, who founded the Royal House SacredWood, was the son of a legendary high elf and because of that, he projected the capital to be closer to nature.

Close to the heart of the city, stood a great complex of magnificent buildings of the same origin, the Polar Magic Academy, the empire's pride and torn.

Pride for it was where the brightest mages often gave their first lights. Torn because it was where the past and present continuously conflicted, causing turmoils that affected the very stability of the ruling power.

Since ancient times, there were those with higher and lower status within any civilization In the Evergreen Empire, despite the continuous efforts of the last three emperors, the nobility was still as snobby and prideful as ever, always picking fights and trying their best to suppress those who were not of "noble lineage."

The immense magic academy showcased a distinctive architectural style, featuring towering buildings that exuded grandeur. Elaborate ancient aspects embellished its stone exteriors, and ivy-covered walls introduced an enchanting aura. Within, expansive halls with lofty ceilings and stained glass windows offered a captivating setting for students to explore the mysteries of the magic arts and the ancient obscure past.

Within the tallest building, in the center of the academy, Wu Xue was walking with a nervous heart. He was about to face the academy's principal.

Since he arrived at the capital, he felt many dangerous auras and he tries his best to hide his clumsiness. Already in the academy, he felt like he entered a den of beasts and didn't dare to relax.

Roger, who was leading him until that moment, stopped by a huge wooden door and knocked on it, "Excuse me, I brought sir Wuxue."

"You can enter," a somewhat rough and ancient female voice came from inside the room.

Wu Xue could feel the owner of that voice was much stronger than himself, at least in terms of raw power. He couldn't sense the limits of her energy.

Roger opened the door and gestured for Wu Xue to enter first.

After he entered the room, which was full of the smell of old books, Wu Xue locked eyes with the only person there.

It was an old black-haired woman wearing white clothing and round glasses, she was smiling but something told Wu Xue that she wasn't as amicable as she seemed.

First of all, he learned from Jonath's magic tome that any mage that reached the Eighth Star could prolong their lives and rejuvenate their bodies to a certain extent.

The old woman in front of him didn't show any signs of rejuvenation and actually seemed to be in her last years. It could mean two things:

The first possibility was that she was unable to reach the Eighth Star. Wu Xue found it extremely unlikely since she was the Principal of the Magic Academy.

The second possibility was that she already rejuvenated and extended her life span, but a long time had passed since then and her magic couldn't keep her young anymore.

If the truth was the second possibility, it was a bit scary, since Wu Xue learned that an Eighth Star Mage could live up to a thousand years and remain young for at least nine hundred of those. If the Principal was an Eighth Star Mage in her last years, she was almost a millenary existence. Wu Xue didn't feel much confidence if he had to trick someone so old and more powerful than him.

"Mister Wu Xue," the old woman began to talk first, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Clara, the Principal of the Polar Magic Academy, and the person in charge of supervising the capital's Defiants."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Clara," Wu Xue bowed slightly, using an etiquette he learned from Edward.

"Sorry if I'm being too hasty," Clara said with sharp eyes, "But what is your exact Mage Rank?"

Wu Xue subconsciously felt it was turning for the worse, and said with apparent calmness, "I'm an Eighth Star Mage, I just recently reached my current level."

"Well, that would explain your abundant vitality and youthful body," Clara nodded but then changed her expression, "But why can't I sense any magic aura from someone two ranks below me?"

'She is a Tenth Star Mage!?' Wu Xue began to grow more nervous but controlled his expression.

"I practice a special foreign technique, it makes my magic aura more difficult to sense," Wu Xue lied with a smile.

Clara looked at him in silence for a while and said, "I don't buy this obvious lie. I never heard of such a powerful technique that enables a mage two stars below another to hide his magic aura so perfectly."

Wu Xue knew he had to take a huger risk to trick her, so he cast a spell with his True Qi and made a green ball of light appear above his palms, it was full of life energy.

Clara was surprised, she could feel an unknown energy being used by Wu Xue to cast that spell, and she also never heard of such a life spell.

"My magic aura is different from others, and so it can't be sensed until by other mages unless I actively use it," Wu Xue made up another lie, with the risk of revealing one big secret of his, that he cultivated another completely different type of energy than the mages of that world.

Moreover, another reason his energies couldn't be sensed was that he integrated his Order Artistic Conception into them, making them extremely ethereal.

Clara's expression of surprise slowly receded and she said, "I understand, I'm sorry for being unbelieving just now."

"It's fin–" Wu Xue dispelled the spell and opened his mouth but was interrupted.

"But I still need you to prove you are an Eighth Star Mage, what about showing your magic stars directly?" Clara said with suspicious eyes.

Cold sweat began to flow down his back, but Wu Xue controlled himself again and lied, "I can't do that, my magic stars were much different than others and were very sensible to outside observation."

"You want me to believe such nonsense?" Clara asked with a smile that wasn't a smile.

Wu Xue thought hard and sighed, "It's a pity you don't believe me. I guess I should leave, then?"

"Not so simply," Clara chuckled, "You don't really think you can enter this place with the intent of tricking me and leave without paying any price, right?"

Wu Xue could clearly feel that Clara cast a unknown spell to block the space around him, his body was imprisoned.

He frowned and mobilized his literary power, "Twist." When the word left his mouth, the aura surrounding him was forcibly twisted and torn, freeing him immediately.

"Hoh? It seems you aren't a complete fraud," Clara smiled strangely, "Only someone who lit the Eighth Star could escape that spell like you just did."

"What about stopping this useless contest?" Wu Xue looked at her and prepared to run away, he didn't want to waste his energy on a powerful enemy, she had exponentially higher raw power than him.

And although he felt he could easily run away by using his mastery over the Space-Time Artistic Conception, it would waste too much power as well, he would rather solve everything peacefully.

"Since I already showed my ability, can't you just allow me to take the job?" Wu Xue said with a straight face, "I'm confident I can teach the students regardless of the difference in my magic power."

"Why would I let a suspicious person like you teach the students of my academy?" Clara laughed out loud, the air around her began to get twisted by her power.

"There really is nothing I can do to gain at least a superficial trust?" Wu Xue sighed and began to circulate his True Qi in advance, a black and white aura began to surround him, "I came here to be a teacher, it would be a pity to leave like this."

"Do you still think you can leave?" Clara narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure," Wu Xue answered calmly.

The room entered a period of silence, they kept staring at each other without moving.

"Ha!" Clara suddenly began to laugh again, even louder than before, the oppression she emitted disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Can I take it as you giving me a chance?" Wi Xue frowned but didn't lower his guard.

"Yes, you can relax a bit," Clara narrowed her eyes, "At least for now."

"What do you want me to do?" Wu Xue asked, "I'm sure you have some tricky plan to at least partially control me."

"You are right!" Clara nodded and explained, "I am someone who majors in two paths, Elemental Magic and Curse Magic.

"One of the possible uses of curse magic is to bind someone into a deadly vow, that once broken... will kill the culprit."

Wu Xue narrowed his eyes and said, "It would have been easier if you offered it earlier."

"I needed to have some grasp on how you behave first," Clara chuckled, "And it wouldn't be fun at all."

"Can I take it that the papers I signed before were worthless?" Wu Xue asked.

"No, no!" Clara shook her head, "We will keep the contract as it is, and you will receive all you deserve for your work!"

Wu Xue grinned and asked, "What will be the conditions for the vow?"

"You must swear that you won't harm the academy in the future as long as it doesn't treat you unfairly," Clara put the terms on the table, "You must swear you will never hurt the students of the academy without the agreement of this place's rules."

"Those are easy, but I'm afraid there's more?" Wu Xue lifted one of his eyebrows.

"You must swear that you will teach your students with true knowledge about magic, rather than something you make up," Clara added.

Wu Xue felt turbidity in his heart, he knew she was testing him again.

"Are you willing?" Clara looked at him with an amusing expression, she really wanted to know how he would react.

"Why should I teach something that's not true knowledge?" Wu Xue continued to act dumb without revealing a flaw, "I can swear those things without any problem."

"Then let's start the ritual," Clara grinned and clapped her palms, a magic circle appeared in the air above her and divided into two magic circles. One magic circle went to Wu Xue and another stayed with her.

"This is my self-created spell, I named it 'Vow of Heavens,'" Clara explained, "Put a strand of your hair in the magic circle."

Wu Xue hesitated, he didn't trust Clara and was afraid of being tricked. But after coming this far, he didn't want to cower in fear at all.

He took one strand of his hair and put it above the magic circle, it absorbed the strand and merged with the other magic circle.

"I swear on my soul that I will honestly accept the owner of this strand of hair as an employee of the Polar Magic Academy, as a teacher of Life Magic, and that I will treat him fairly while he keeps abiding by the conditions set."

Clara then signaled for Wu Xue to speak.

"I swear I won't harm the academy as long as it treats me fairly, and that I will never harm any of its students without the consent of the academy's rules. I also swear to always teach true magical knowledge to my students while I'm employed as a teacher of the academy."

Just as he closed his mouth, the magic circle above Clara's head divided into two again. One of the magic circles entered Clara's body and the other entered Wu Xue's body.

He could feel the magic circle trying to link itself with his soul, but it was unable to because of the soul lamp. He hesitated for a moment and allowed the magic circle to connect with the soul lamp.

When it connected, Wu Xue felt a layer of restriction covering him. He felt he would surely die if he broke that restriction.

'I will study it later and deduce a way to break it safely,' he thought to himself.