Heading towards the city, I realized how low Leaf's fatigue is. Everything about me is below average except my fatigue is astronomically high. Even in comparison to my passed life. Running as well as training made it so it was very difficult for me to get tired. Even sacrificing some of my fatigue to refill my mana from completely none to full with mana recovery. I could probably do that 2 or 3 times each day. It is better to just let it regenerate naturally. It would suck if a big fight were to happen and couldn't help because I was so fatigued.
My energy regen is also quite high. Almost at where it should be if I picked a dexterity class as my main. That being said, I can shoot about 2 focused shots from the crossbow. Then I need to wait a minute before I can fire more special attacks again. I can fire the bolts normally but they aren't as powerful or accurate. I can fire around 4 to 5 bolts every minute.
Kattie's also a magician but it seems her previous adventuring increased her fatigue. At least enough to keep up with the group. Our pace is going to slow down with Leaf in our group now. I still feel safer with her around. One night while sleeping, all of our familiars and the wolf started acting up. Not only could I hear the wolf growling and barking outside. I could also here 2 voices talking in my head telling me to wake up. This might be the first attack by bandits…
I'm not looking forward to this... It wasn't bandits thankfully. When we setup camp, we were a little off the road. We got attacked by 3 vampire bats. I tried my best to tame them but I couldn't again. Still, it might just be a level difference between me and the monsters. So I wont abandon my petty wolf just yet. We are getting close to the Shienta. We can actually see the city now.
Big walls blocking off access to most of the city and a huge gated entrance, the only possible way in. The village is easily the biggest I've ever seen, the population is about 3000... That is my estimate at least. We look down at the city, from the mountain we still need to climb down. It is a truly beautiful sight to see. It shouldn't be more than a few hours trip before we reach the front gate. The path down from the rocky mountain was moderately dangerous. With how many times Leaf has almost killed herself falling, it reminds me of my father. I've already saved her life multiple times on the journey.
Leaf wasn't nearly this clumsy when we were fighting the lich but maybe combat is a switch for actually focusing. We make it down the mountain pass and the entrance to the city was only a mile away. We did have to travel close to a forest though. Thinking we might get attacked, it ended with me worrying over nothing since it didn't happen.
At the gate to Shienta, we were stopped by a guard. She looked at a few hand drawn wanted posters. Seeing that we were mostly children, she probably let us in easier than if we were all adults. Entering the city felt a little overwhelming. In my previous life I actually lived on the other side of the continent and I never seen cities quite this scale before. The guard said that the capital, Merideth was even bigger than this. The jewel of the country, built on a hill with the castle at the peak. He says the view of the city from afar blows the view of Shienta from the mountain top away.
For the first time since I've been reborn, I feel excited over a new surrounding. We headed towards the mages academy here. Kattie and Lance both split off. Kattie is going to the adventurers guild to look for another party. Lance is heading towards the local boot camp for physical classes. I don't feel I am adequate enough to pass the entrance exam to the boot camp. Perhaps after a few years of training I will feel more prepared to enter. Maybe once we're done we'll join back up and become an adventuring party again. I head to the local blacksmith and sell Karn's sword for 1 gold coin and 30 silver coins.
Me and Leaf ask for directions a few times before finding the mage academy. The building is smaller than I expected but that's fine, if it can help me get stronger, it doesn't matter what size it is. We enter the building and there is a man sleeping at what appears to be a check in desk. After waking him he asks a few quests from both of us. We have to tell them our class as well as touch an orb that would show the level of our current class and the potential we have as well.
Leaf went first.
“Hi my names Leaf and I'm a summoner!” Making a stupid pose and pointed at her familiar.
I felt slightly embarrassed by that. She's such a dork I think to myself. Leaf touched the orb and got a reading for above average summoner, Leaf could skip a grade if she wanted and Leaf ending up doing that. She was sent on her way to her room since we arrived after classes were over. Before she left she looked back over her shoulder and shouted.
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“See ya later Kite! I hope you can skip classes too!”
I went next.
“My name is Kite and time mage is my main class.”
No stupid pose from me. I move to touch the orb and it is nothing like what Leafs looked like. Leafs was 1 solid light, while mine was many lights all split apart. Much smaller than hers but covered a larger area. If you combined them all, mine would technically be bigger. The proctor at the entrance had no idea what was wrong. He told me to wait and ran off.
Around 10 minutes later, the head of the school came to see what was happening. He was a very old man wearing a robe I could only tell was extremely expensive and had a permanent scowl on his face. I was made to take the test again and he looked just as confused as the proctor did. He asked me.
“Well...maybe the boy knows whats going on?”
I decided I would tell the headmaster of the school but I didn't want many other people knowing about it. I ask him.
“May we speak in private about it?”
He looked at me like he was trying to guess what I might want to tell him. He must have realized that my secret was very important to me to keep secret. He adjusted his robe with both hands as he spoke again.
“Very well.”
We walked about 30 feet and went into a room I assumed was an office that was used by the proctor.
“What do you have to say?”
The scowl got a little deeper but it didn't seem like he was angry at all. His voice sounded fairly calm this entire time.
“Well its about my class. I have a unique one called master of learning. It lets me learn multiple classes and jobs but I have to put far more effort into leveling each class than picking a main class.”
He looks at me closer staring directly in my eyes looking for lies.
“You don't appear to be lying, so what are your ambitions with this school?”
I already knew so my answer came easily to me.
“I came here to learn more classes and jobs I don't have, buying books to learn classes only gets you so far and this is the easiest way to get stronger... To better myself, that is why I risked coming here at such a young age.”
He seems to value my honesty and hard work because his scowl as finally turned into a light smile.
“Its quite refreshing seeing someone your age have so much aspiration towards learning. My name is Milton. If you have any questions, head to the proctor and he'll answer them. I'm going to mark you as a special student, you'll be able to sit in on any class you want but you'll have to get through all 4 years of school, no skipping grades as a special student.”
After that I went to the Proctor. He sent me to a room where I'd have new roommates. 1 of the entire wings is just for live in dorms at the academy. The price to live here and learn here would be 10 silver coins per year. I've already paid a year in advance. The rooms had 3 bunk beds each in them. So I would end up having 5 other roommates eventually. At the moment when I walk in I only see 2 people.
Leaf was in my room. With Leaf being in the same room as me, it appears their are no gender restrictions for the dorm rooms... Which would make changing far more awkward than normal. Most people are fine with being seen naked on this side of the world... There must not be any rules with having sex with classmates then...
The other person caught my attention far quicker than Leaf did... After exchanging pleasantries I found out his name was Brick and he was an older gentlemen, guessing around 30 years old. He was a tough looking man. His name couldn't suit him any better because that's exactly what he looks like, a human brick. He is a giant of a man as well, the biggest person I've ever seen.
From the appearance of the room, it looks like he sleeps on the floor so he doesn't accidentally break the bed. I start to worry for a second that Leaf is in the same room as this giant man than put it out of my mind. He wouldn't do anything to get himself kicked out of school and he hasn't done anything to make me think otherwise... I honestly feel safer with him being a sort of guard dog for my room.
I continue to talk with him for a bit since classes are already over. He was an adventurer for many years already being a guardian and he decided to spend a few years leveling is secondary class so he had more combat potential then just soaking damage. It appears that he dislikes his current situation and would rather focus completely on his secondary class. When I heard that is secondary class was elementalist, I involuntarily let out an excited yelp.