After thrashing-*ahem*. After training with Yerin and her father, Fenrir prepared a meal and an uneventful night passed. When dawn came, Fenrir awoke once more and prepared breakfast. Then, they set off for the Capitol. After half a day of travel, the caravan arrived at the capitol. The walls were, in Fenrir's opinion, uselessly elaborite. While their size, six meters wide and fifty meters tall, was capable of stopping most normal attacks, especially with the enchantments woven into the stone, the creators had likely focused more on appearance. The walls were made with earth magic, formed from a singular piece of stone, and golden veins ran through the surface of the white rock. It encircled the city completely, with angular watch towers that complemented the elegant castle within. The gates were crafted from gold, which held enchantments better than most nonmagical metals. Exquisite carvings of past heroes and ancient monsters sprawled across the wide doors, and people flowed freely in and out, with their backgrounds checked by the magic barrier as they passed. A moat of clear water, fifty meters wide, circled the city, from each of the nine gates stretched a drawbridge, pointing in the nine cardinal directions like an enormous compass. At least, they did at sunrise. Just like a giant clock, the city turned as the suns moved, with each bridge pointing in the direction of its respective sun.

The view at sunrise and sunset on the hottest day, Calora, was likely awe-inspiring, especially from the central tower of the royal palace. With the shimmering city sprawling out beneath them, one would see each gate open wide as the dawn arrived, and the drawbridges would form nine paths, each leading to sun.

Of course, Fenrir cared very little for aesthetics. The demons had always been united behind whoever became Demon King; the position was equivalent to that of a god. There was no need for them to impress anyone, as they were all allies. To Raz, the most beautiful place in the world was that simple cottage on the cliff. All he saw when he looked at the city were wasted resources. The tastes of a demon and those of the races differed, it seemed.

When the people of the city saw the Aelis family's crest on the wagons and the guards, they parted like water. Their gazes were filled with reverence as they watched the caravan pass, and those at the gates knelt when they saw the group. This continued even after they entered the city.

Eventually, they came to a halt in front of an obviously high class inn. Yerin and Trevor exited the carriage as the innkeeper came out to greet them.

~~~~~~~

"Lord Aelis, Lord Heir Yerin, I am honored that you have chosen to stay at the Golden Apple[1]. Truly, the Aelis house has good taste. Lord Aelis is so handsome and ..."

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While the innkeeper tried to flatter her father and her, the Aelis duo quickly cut him off and walked straight to where Fenrir was standing. The other members of the caravan waited by the side for their turn to say goodbye. The innkeeper felt like crying.

"It's been nice traveling with you," said the boy, his hood still obscuring his features. The innkeeper and the onlookers were entranced by his fae voice. Despite the fact that the voice was incredibly beautiful, they were somehow sure that the person was a male.

"Yeah. Make sure to visit me at the academy." Yerin smiled sadly as she spoke. Once again, the onlookers were stunned. While Trevor Aelis was usually friendly, Yerin Aelis was known for being cold and distant to everyone, especially males. However, she was friendly and even seemed reluctant to part when she spoke to this unknown young man. Their gossip senses were tingling.

"Oh!" Yerin was struck with an idea on the spot. "Are you interested at all in attending the Imperial Academy?"

Fenrir pondered for a moment. He had no real goal at the moment, and he felt rather reluctant to part with his friend. In the end, he shrugged and nodded. This "Imperial Academy" seemed interesting, and it would be nice to stay with Yerin. Besides, that person had been wearing some sort of uniform...

Yerin's smile turned into a bright grin, further surprising the audience.

"You need a recommendation to get in, do you have one?" Now that they didn't have to separate, Yerin seemed much happier than before.

When Fenrir shook his head, Yerin's smile widened. "Then, the Aelis family will recommend you. Do you know when the entrance exams are?"

Once more, the boy shook his head. Yerin wasn't too surprised; likely, Fenrir was a foreigner, especially given that he probably wasn't entirely human. Her smile widened, its beauty entrancing some of the onlookers. Feeling strangely happy, she told Fenrir all the main details about the Academy. As she spoke, she decided that she enjoyed the contrast between the boy's strong and mostly silent demeanor and his surprisingly innocent and ignorant personality.[2]

Meanwhile, the onlookers almost fell over as they watched Yerin Aelis, well known as a cold, elegant girl, energetically spoke to this stoic, unknown young man.

After agreeing to meet at the entrance exam in three days, Yerin gave Fenrir a hug and a quick peck on the cheek before he left. As she did so, her face turned as red as a lobster, and the people watching could almost hear the sound of a kettle coming to boil...

"What are you looking at!?" The moment the boy left, she yelled at the bystanders.

This time, a few of the onlookers, including the innkeeper, did fall over.