On Marcus's request, Chase spent the rest of the day telling a recap of the test to the one-armed geezer, down to every minute detail he remembered . As a result, the topic continued on until midnight and Marcus had noted down ten full pages regarding the matter.
"So nobody died?" Marcus taps his quill on the paper, waiting for the answer to his final question.
"No. Why are you taking these down, Mark? It's not like the test would be the same next year" Chase asks curiously. Marcus had meticulously jotted down every point Chase had spoken of regardless of their importance.
"There is no such thing as useless information, boy. Maybe this information is bloody useless to yer and me, but someone else might find a use for it in the Guild" An information's worth cannot be determined by one person alone. To the untrained eye, a rough diamond could be mistaken for an ordinary rock.
"This seems to tally with last year. They like to use scare tactics which implies death but no one bloody up and died yet in their tests" Makes sense, it would be hazardous to the Academy if something like that were to happen. Even though there is an agreement between the contestant and them, it would still be bad for their image.
"Oh..." Chase did not really notice, he doubted he would have died in the first place. The way he sees it, unless someone tripped and impales themselves on their own swords, no one could have possibly died.
Since Chase is one of the only two who passed through all three stages, he is a reliable source of information. Those who failed tend to provide falsified data due to self-defending their injured ego.
"I don't think the first part was right, though. It was mixed up with the test of strength with the golems and all" Chase recalls the speed, reflexes and abilities of the golems. All the books he have read had given him the image of hulking, slow, and durable stone creatures. It was surprising to see them capable of such sleek movements.
"Bah, they would fail either way later on, wouldn't they? Bloody good that they dropped like flies at the beginning. Yer should've been more cruel to those backstabbing bastards though" From what Chase had told him, if he had not been rescued by this 'Terrence' boy he would have been done for. How did he help Chase, anyway?
"Well, I thought that I shouldn't waste too much time on them" Chase grinds his teeth. Come to think of it, he had plenty of spare time by the end. He should have tracked them down and pay them back some more.
"Eh, I guess that makes sense. The uniform will be arriving tomorrow, and yer have to go the day after, right? Good, because I need to go back to Thanes" Having said that, Marcus sets aside his notebook and rolls into his blanket. Since his bloody paperwork are finally taken care of, he needs to oversee the rebuilding efforts in Thanes.
"Good night, Mark" Chase too, would like nothing more than a good night's sleep. Pointing his finger at the lanterns, he blows them off with a precise gust of wind.
Darkness envelops the room and they immediately fall into a deep slumber.
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The next morning, a courier arrived at the inn with a package. He was looking for a Mr. Blackstone, the recipient. Chase and Marcus who were sitting nearby having breakfast called out to the courier.
The courier was wearing a deep blue uniform, complete with a beret and a long-sleeved overcoat. His stiff and disciplined posture implies him to have received some training, military-based perhaps. Tucked under both of his arms are identical square boxes, big enough to stuff a couple of uniforms and then some.
"Oh, there you are! Now, if you don't mind identifying yourself.. Do you have a Glyph or should I lend you mine?" The courier flicks his eyes to the hexagonal white metal plate tied to his own belt, waiting for a reply. It is customary to identify the recipient's identity before handing over the package.
"No, it's okay I got one" Chase whips out his own Glyph of Evaluation and channels Mana into it. The Azure light pours out and encircles Chase, then shattering to form letters and words visible only to him and the courier. Of course, Chase only showed his name.
"Hmm.. Good, good, everything seems to be in order" The courier checks the name on the bulky package and compares it with the floating, glowing letters in front of him.
"Here is the package from the Academy, congratulations" As he hands over the box, Chase could see the Academy's emblem on the courier's cuffs matching with the one stamped onto the package. The emblem depicts an open book with a crimson globe of fire floating over it, both of them are encircled by a ring of unknown letters.
"Well then, have a good day" The courier tips off his beret and leaves the establishment with his remaining package. Chase guesses the recipient of the other box to be Terrence.
Marcus and Chase exchanges a glance over their half-eaten plates of breakfast.
"Well, that is bloody fast isn't it?" Having a uniform sewed in one day is already considered fast but to have it delivered this early in the morning? Bloody fast.
Not feeling very hungry anymore, Chase and Marcus head back to their room without finishing breakfast. Neither of them could wait to open the box, it seems to be too big for just a uniform. Carrying it for himself, the box is actually heavier than it looks.
*Riiiiiiip!*
Not reserving any force, Chase violates the paper packaging and reveals an ornate wooden chest. Delicate floral patterns were carved onto the surface of the crate. Every single flower and leaf gives off the feeling of freshness, as if they are alive. Chase slows down his pace and treats the box with a modicum of caution.
Finding a simple button at the center front of the chest, he presses it. The crate clicks open and uncovers its velvet covered interior. Placed on top of a bundle of folded cloth Chase assumes to be his uniform, is a letter and an inch-thick book. Deciding he should better read first, he grabs the letter and sits on his bed while Marcus rifles through his new belongings. Breaking the seal, Chase starts to read its content.
' Dear Mister Blackstone,' The letter is written in a neat, flowing handwriting.
'Congratulations on enrolling into the Academy. Based on our assessments, you have been placed into the third semester for both Close Combat and Magic classes. You have also been placed into the Alexander dormitory.
As our Academy offers a wide range of academic subjects, we understand the students' confusion regarding what to choose.
We offer our students the freedom of choice. As such, all students are free to enter any academic class they wish to during the first week. However, we do not want to produce indecisive students either. After the end of the first week, the students are required to make their permanent choice for the rest of the semester.'
"Look at this bloody thing, it's so smooth!" Marcus pulls out Chase's uniform and feels the fabric. Chase lifts his eyes from the letter for a moment and then continues to read.
'This package entails two sets of your Academy uniform which needs to be worn at all times outside of your dormitory. The uniform is the black-coloured one just in case you are confused with the Battle Suit.
Speaking of Battle Suits, we have also included one set of it inside. The Battle Suits are a compulsory wear for practical Close Combat and Magic Classes.
If either your uniform or Battle Suit are damaged, hand it over to your dormitory caretaker and he or she shall send it to get fixed.'
"Look at this one, it's a bloody soft armour of some sort!" This time, Marcus is holding a pair of white shiny suit and pants. Thin metal plating glints over the chest, knees and sleeves of the suit. It looks good but maybe a tad uncomfortable to wear.
'The Academy does not neglect the importance of punctuality. As such, we have made it a point to include a pocket watch as part of our Academy Starting Set. Tardiness shall not be excused no matter your standing in society.
The pocket watch can be handed over to the caretaker for repairs. He or she will provide a replacement in the meantime.
Lastly, we believe the only thing that differentiates humans from animals is the existence of rules. As such, we have included a rule book as well. Make sure to learn it by heart.
Sincerely,
Aprudish Staffes'
"Yer done? Try one of these on!" After receiving a nod of confirmation from Chase, Marcus roughly throws him a black uniform.
A couple of minutes consisting of undressing and careful uniform-donning later, Chase stands straight and proud in his new outfit.
"Yer look like one of those bloody rich brats from uptown" Marcus stares Chase up and down then smirks mockingly. Chase snorts with irritation in reply.
"Too bad this room doesn't have a mirror, otherwise yer could see how yer bloody look right now. Go to the toilet and see for yerself" Marcus comments as he looks around the room in search of a mirror. Not having such a basic need is a failing for this type of establishment.
"No need" Flicking his right hand, Chase gathers the moisture in the room and shapes it into a thin rectangular layer a bit taller than himself. With another wave of his hand, the water rectangle turns into cold, reflective ice standing right in front of him.
"Bloody nifty, Magic I mean" Marcus whistles softly as he peers into the ice mirror, staring at his own reflection.
Chase looks into the mirror and sees an odd image of himself. There is nothing wrong with his face or body but rather it was the outfit which looks out of place.
A classy black formal coat hugs his figure, perfectly matching the white collared shirt he is wearing underneath. The emblem of the Academy is proudly emblazoned on the left chest area, possibly to symbolize how the Academy is always close at heart.
Coupled with the fitting black trousers which came in with the set, Chase looks positively fashion smart. Having your clothes sewn by expert tailors with accurate measurements makes all the difference.
"You know what? This thing is too fit, what if I grow bigger?" Chase voices his worry to Marcus. It would be troublesome if he needs to apply for another uniform later on. What if he has to pay for another set?
"I don't think there's a problem with that. Yer don't feel hot or sweaty in that thing, do yer?" The one-armed geezer smiles and rubs the hem of Chase's sleeve between his forefinger and thumb.
"Now that you mention it, yeah.. it actually feels comfortable" Chase notes how comfy and cool it actually feels despite putting on two layers of clothing.
"This thing is most likely made out of Terrameleon's hide. Those things are known for their ability to adapt to almost every bloody environment in the world... including the ability to expand and shrink their size" Marcus demonstrates by pulling Chase's sleeve hard. Chase almost yelled in surprise, his coat might have gotten ripped but stopped himself once he saw the cloth stretch.
"As yer can see, it's pretty damn elastic" The sleeve rapidly returns to its original cut without fault once Marcus releases it from his grasp.
"Wait.. if this fabric could stretch and expand, why would they take my measurements?" Chase recalls the measuring tapes that zipped around his body after he passed the test. That should have been unnecessary since one size fits all.
"Handling Terrameleon hide is a bit tricky.. they most likely had to figure out yer body shape and estimate how much yer would grow in several years. Otherwise yer would look like yer wearing a bloody leotard" While it is true the cloth is elastic, it would eventually reach a point where it gets tight enough to resemble a bodysuit.
"Now about this battle suit of yers.... it's made out of the same material and maybe another layer of something else to absorb impact...as for the metal plates.. I'm not sure what they are" Marcus examines the white suit, his fingers working their way all over the fabric and flicking the metal plates to check their hardness.
"It looks a bit tacky..." Chase eyes the Battle Suit and frowns. He is quite fine with the colour and design but the shine it is giving off is quite distasteful.
"Can't do anything about that, so yer get two sets of uniforms, one of this shiny suits and a dandy pocket watch?" Marcus said as he pulls out a silver pocket watch from inside the package and dangles it in between his fingers. He flips open the cover and looks at the face of the watch, the numerals to indicate time and the name of the company that produced it are engraved in gold.
"Fait Accompli, figures" Marcus mumbles to himself.
"?" Chase raises his eyebrows, the name is foreign to him. Then again, everything here is new to him.
"They're the first watch and clock makers in the world though they used to be a cult of some sort before that. They weren't particularly dangerous because they didn't do anything except believe that fate should not be changed, though everyone knows fate couldn't change anyway. Besides that, they are regarded as great artisans in their craft" Marcus gingerly gives the watch to Chase.
"I see..." The boy stares at the watch and appreciates the work of art. After a few seconds, he stuffed it back into the box because he had never given much care for aesthetics. It is a blessing or maybe a failing of the Blackstones, tools are meant to be practical whereas everything else is secondary.
"And lastly they gave me this rule book..." Chase extracts the last item from the ornate chest. In his hands is a leather-bound book with the Academy emblem stamped onto its front cover. The book is thick enough to be used as a blunt weapon, Chase could picture smacking a goblin's brain out with it.
"That doesn't really count, wait are yer seriously going to read that?" Marcus's eyes widen and he knits his eyebrows in disgust as Chase immediately flips the book open and scans through its first page.
"Hm? Yes, I suppose" Chase answers without lifting his face, his focus had already been shifted towards the book. The first few pages tell of the history of the Academy and how it had barely been a little over half a century since its establishment.
".... Well, have fun" Marcus shrugs and leaves the room. If the boy finds hundreds of pages of boring rules to be an enjoyable read, so be it.
Meanwhile, Chase's finger is touching the edge of the first page. Just a few more lines, a dozen words, and that finger will flip the page to reveal another. Oh, the excitement.
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"So, yer would be fine on yer own?" Marcus's voice reaches down to Chase. The horse's front hooves tap against the ground repeatedly and its tail swishes back and forth eagerly.
"Yeah, just tell dad and everyone else that I'm fine when you get back" Chase says while staring up at the mounted figure of the one-armed geezer.
"Will do, yer take care now all right? It might be a good idea to come back on a semester break, make some friends who live in the west and hitch a ride home or something" The only reason they assumed Chase would stay at the Academy is due to the lack of transportation. If that problem is solved, he should be able to visit home once in a while.
"Making friends and hitching a ride?...I'll try.." Chase's head droops down as he stares uncertainly at his feet.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Yer gonna have to learn how to bloody start a conversation, boy. Don't just react, act! Well, I guess that's my last piece of advice for yer, see yer around!" With that said, Marcus steers his trusty horse around and speeds off into the distance.
'I didn't even get to say thanks..' Marcus left too fast. It could not be helped since he has to reach the closest town or village sometime before nightfall.
Chase checks the contents of his knapsack one last time. Having made sure he did not leave anything behind, he sets out towards the Academy before the sun could rise above the horizon.
The roads are not empty, even this early in the morning. Although less crowded compared to the afternoon or evenings, Chase sometimes had to make room for people to pass through. The passersby would sometimes turn their heads around to glance at him, most likely due to his uniform and the fact that he is walking.
The clatter of wooden wheels would occasionally be heard as a carriage from outside travels in the middle of the path. There is a drastic increase in traffic today, owing to the same reason Chase is heading to the Academy.
Nobles from all over the Kingdom are returning for a new semester at the Academy. Chase had read about it in the rule book. Despite its name, it actually includes a detailed explanation of how things work in the Academy.
Students are divided by semesters, not years due to the abundance of funding and teachers. New students are accepted every new semester but the scholarship test is only open once a year.
'Marcus was right to leave early, this is ridiculous' By the time Chase made it to the Academy gates, the roads are packed with horses and carriages. The coaches at the back has to slow down the pace to avoid running into the ones in front, resulting in a slow procession. The problem is worsened by the carriages which are heading on their way back after sending off the nobles.
A number of them decides to drop off and walk the rest of the way to the gate, which is not that far away. A common trait that Chase could see is the presence of at least one attendant in tow carrying their master's luggage.
'Now why are they turning back so early?' Chase remembers how far away the buildings are. However, the horse cars from outside did not go any further than the entrance of the Academy.
His question is immediately answered by the sight of even more carriages. Parked by the side of the path beyond the gate, under the familiar trees that Chase recognised from the scholarship test, are hundreds of them. Their white coating of paint gleam with a brilliant shine under the sunlight, accentuating the Academy emblem drawn on both sides of each carriage. A pair of Academy-bred white stallions are assigned to each vehicle. The nobles and their accompaniment are escorted into them and sent off towards their respective dormitories.
A woman wearing a deep blue uniform approaches Chase and delivers a bow perfect enough to please the royal court.
"Welcome, may I be graced with the details of my lord's dormitory?" Trained to not offend the nobles, she arranges her words into one of the most disgusting sentences that had entered Chase's ears.
"Err... Alexander" Chase repeats the name he read in the letter.
"Very well, this way please" She lifts her head and straightens her back then walks gracefully towards one of the horse-pulled vehicles. With a soft click, she opens the door and kneels by the side while waiting for Chase to ascend.
With shaky footsteps and fidgety hands, Chase opens and closes his mouth. After a few seconds, his shoulder slumps and he enters the carriage. He actually thought about telling the staff to act normally but he could guess that it would make no difference. The door closes gently once he entered and the female staff prepares to drive the coach.
"Is everything satisfactory, my lord?" Her feeble voice seeps through the air holes in the carriage, requesting confirmation of Chase's comfort.
"Y-yes, everything is fine, thank you" Not knowing what she would do if he said otherwise, Chase gave the most assuring reply he could as he frantically waves his hand about with widened eyes. Not that he has anything to complain, the cushions are soft and the carriage is more roomy than the exterior suggests. He peers outside the window and compares the small amount of baggage he brought compared to the others.
The carriage shakes delicately as the female staff whips the horses into motion. Entering the main path, the carriage moves in a steady pace along with its peers. No lightning-charged golems, no Zenithian Knights or labyrinth of deceit blocking his path this time, Chase enjoys his first ever carriage ride to his dormitory.
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According to what Chase had read, the Academy has five types of buildings. The main building, where all the classes are held in separate rooms or lecture halls. The gymnasiums, where practical Close Combat or Magic classes take place. The dormitories which are spread all over the campus, specially constructed for the students and equipped with the servants' quarters for their butlers or maids to live in. Not to forget the research facilities, ranging from workshops to agricultural greenhouses, the various facilities are built at different spots on the Academy's vast area.
Lastly, the Colosseum. Once a year, the Academy commemorates its opening anniversary by holding the grand Academy Festival. The Academy is open to visitors for a whole week where a great number of competitions are held. The competitions range from dull ones such as 'The Greatest Farm Produce' to the main attraction such as 'The Tournament of Champions'. The students are also allowed to open shop during the duration of the Festival, to promote entrepreneurship.
"We have arrived at the Alexander dormitory, my lord. Do you require my assistance to carry your luggage?" While remembering the details of the Academy, the vehicle had already arrived at Chase's destination. The female staff is kneeling beside the open door of the carriage.
"N-no, no, it's okay. Thank you very much" Chase bows deeply once he exits the carriage. The woman is flustered and starts to panic from Chase's unusual politeness but quickly recovers herself thanks to her professionalism.
She nods and return to the front of the coach. Without saying anything, she proceeds to drive the carriage all the way back to the gate. It is a busy day for them and having a shortage of vehicles would be disastrous.
Chase eyes his foreign surrounding. Ahead of him lies the precisely carved stone steps leading towards the slightly elevated entrance of his dormitory. Two large circular fountains are spraying an umbrella of water over their sparkling basins on both sides of him. The residence as a whole, could rival a small castle in terms of its size. Chase could see several sets of eyes peering through the open windows upstairs, looking curiously at him.
'Eight..no, nine storeys? Gosh this place is amazing' Judging from the distance between one window to another, the rooms should be considerably large as well. Chase shakes his head and snaps back to business, he has to take care of his registration and get a room key.
As he pushes open the glass doors, Chase is welcomed by a gush of pleasantly cool air in contrast with the warm breeze outside. This is included among the things he read, he believes it was called air-conditioning. By having a few Advanced-level Air and Fire mages, they regulate the temperature of the building by transferring heat from the air inside to outside via built-in air vents. It is one of the innovative ideas presented by the 106th Hero when he first laid out the designs for the Academy.
A soft red carpet paints the floor with opulence, a long mahogany-wrought bench hosts three smiling Academy officers behind them in front of Chase. Two of them are currently serving someone whereas the third is free.
Having seen enough of these things, Chase did not have to be told what to do. His feet naturally carried him towards the reception desk.
"Welcome, would this be your first visit?" The officer asks out of politeness after a slight bow. Chase knows that the officers had already been trained to memorize every single resident in the dormitory and he would be a new face.
"Yes, here is my acceptance letter" Chase takes off his knapsack and extracts the envelope he received. The officer gingerly takes it off Chase's hand and scans the letter.
"Mr. Blackstone, yes your room would be located on the fourth floor on the left wing. Your room number is... L4-01" She takes one of the keys hanging off the wall behind her and gives it to Chase along with his letter.
"Please make use of the elevator or escalator to the side for your convenience" She gestures towards the large open cubicles on the wall to the side of the reception counter and the moving spiral staircase further away.
Chase gulps and looks at the elevator. Another one of the 106th Hero's ideas, the elevator provides an easier alternative of travelling up or down high-storey buildings. The contraption utilises Earth Mages who would move the small, normally unseen stone legs attached to the cubicle. The movement of the elevator is similar to centipedes, where their many legs repeatedly move in succession to cover distances.
Noticing the sweat rolling down Chase's forehead despite the air-conditioning, she kindly adds in.
"Just enter and say which floor and which wing you would like to go to, the Earth Mage would handle the rest of the procedure" Usually she would avoid providing such aid without being prompted to. Pointing out things like that might offend the nobles as if she is labeling them as ignorant, but according to the letter Chase is a scholarship student.
Chase is interested to try both elevator and escalator but he is more interested in the elevator for now.
"I-I see.. thank you" Returning the officer's polite bow, he quickly enters one of the elevators and meets yet another officer, this time a man.
"Err.. Fourth floor, left wing?" He says, unsure whether he phrased it correctly.
"Understood" The man answers and an iron grill slides from the side to close off the elevator. The elevator rises upwards and Chase could see the view of the reception hall sinking down rapidly. Chase had expected a bumpy ride but it turns out to be smooth and easy. After going up four floors and reaching the fifth grilled opening Chase encountered, the elevator moves towards the left.
Around ten seconds later, another grilled opening slides into view from the left showing a long illuminated hall, covering the entrance of the elevator. The elevator stops and the grill glides open as the officer announced that they have arrived at the destination.
Chase once again expresses his gratitude by saying thank you and exits the elevator. As soon as both his feet stepped outside the cubicle, the elevator scurries away and Chase caught a glimpse of the many rocky legs attached to it in action. It really did look like the legs of a centipede.
Eager to see his room, Chase did not waste any time and heads towards the end of the hall. Judging from the number of his room, 'L4-01', he could guess that the L stands for left, the 4 means fourth floor and 01 is his room number. Of course, room 01 would obviously be positioned at the furthermost part of this hall.
Along the way, he could see a few doors open while their inhabitants are having their servants unpack for them. To the few who spotted him passing through, he offers a polite smile. Some returned his smile, some merely ignored him. Although he had expected it, he has now confirmed that not all of the nobles are insufferable pricks like Kyle Andre who made an appearance during the scholarship test. There was something peculiar about the rooms though, there were thick layers of curtains pulled over to the side of each door.
"Hey, you there" A voice calls out from his back, prompting Chase to turn towards the owner.
A boy around his age which returned the smile had come to approach him.
"You must be new around here, aren't you?"
"Yes, i just enrolled" Chase keeps the fact that he is a scholarship student unmentioned. It is best not to attract attention.
"I thought so, I never saw your face before. So where is your room?" He asks with his arm-crossed, not as a sign of impatience, though.
"Room 01, which should be over there.. right?" Chase points towards the end of the hall.
"....Poor you. If you want some wallpapers or curtains just request for some from the reception hall via the pipes" The boy turns around and leaves Chase dumbfounded.
'Wallpapers... curtains? Poor me? What?' Chase tries to make sense of what he just heard. He considers asking the boy for further information but decided against it as the boy seems to be busy with setting up his own room.
Putting the matter aside for later, Chase continues to walk to his own room. A gold plate reads L4-01 on the door, Chase inserts the key with a glistening palm and opens the door.
An ornate wooden table by the windowsill, a delicately carved sofa, a king-sized bed, tastefully chosen wallpaper and carpet, those were the sights Chase is served with as he peers inside through the doorway. The size of the room is easily ten times the room he and Marcus stayed in for the past few days. Chase walks inside and spots a built-in wardrobe along with two separate bathrooms. There is even a long dining table in the middle of the room, right under a luxurious looking chandelier.
*BAM!*
Before Chase could close the door behind him, another door slams open. Chase looks back to see a youth from the room across the hall marching into his room uninvited. The boy grins happily while pulling Chase's right hand into a vigorous handshake.
"Greetings, I am Bolt, Bolt Skylar!" He exclaims in a jovial manner.
"Would you need help with things? I am ready to help, now what would you need assistance with?" Chase thought his own silver eyes were uncommon enough but this boy's pair of red eyes are even more unusual.
"No, it's alright, thanks" Chase declines the suspicious offer. Why would this person suddenly act this friendly to him?
"Nonsense, how can I let a blind person do this unaided?!" He knits his eyebrows together and widens his eyes, his hands are balled into fists to emphasise Chase's ridiculous statement.
"Blind...? What do you mean by that?" Chase is sure he heard that right. Just what could have suggested him to be blind? His eyes are silver, not colourless.
"Hmm?" Bolt seems to realise something and relaxes his posture.
"Oh, my apologies. I made a mistake" He smiles sheepishly, after his eyes shifted from red to pink.
'?!!'
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A visitor of fate Armus Another eye-catching person?
For The Curious Mind