A few days later, I finally arrived at the capital.
The first thing that caught my attention was the sheer size of the city.
Compared to the towns I had visited before, the capital felt like an entirely different world. The streets were wide enough for several carriages to pass through at once, and the roads were constantly crowded with merchants, adventurers, nobles, craftsmen, and ordinary citizens moving from one district to another.
Large stone buildings lined the streets, many of them several stories tall, while enormous mansions stood behind carefully maintained walls in the wealthier districts. Shops filled almost every available space, selling everything from weapons and magical tools to clothing, food, books, and various other goods.
There were even devices powered by magic scattered throughout the city.
Street lamps illuminated the roads without the need for fire. Carriages equipped with magical mechanisms moved more smoothly than the ordinary ones I had seen in smaller towns, and some buildings had crystals installed near their entrances that seemed to provide lighting or other functions.
It wasn’t technology on the level of my previous world.
Not even close.
Still, considering the era of this world, the capital was surprisingly developed.
I suppose this is what happens when magic replaces a portion of what technology would normally accomplish.
As I continued toward the academy, I couldn’t help but look around.
There were simply too many people.
If I wanted to walk without bumping into someone, I would have to pay attention every second.
The capital was truly crowded.
And somewhere within all of this was the academy where I would be spending the next few years.
I had already decided what kind of student I would become.
Nothing special.
Nothing remarkable.
Just another first-year student.
That was the plan, anyway.
*************************
Two months passed.
My life at the academy turned out to be considerably more ordinary than I had expected.
Classes, training, meals, assignments, and the occasional conversation with classmates.
That was about it.
I hadn’t become particularly close with anyone, nor had I made any close friends.
Still, I had gradually become familiar with several of my classmates.
If we happened to cross paths in the hallway, we would exchange a few words. Sometimes someone would ask about an assignment, and occasionally I would join a conversation when there was nothing else to do.
Nothing particularly meaningful.
Which was exactly how I wanted it.
A perfectly ordinary first-year student.
Meanwhile, things outside the academy had been progressing rather differently.
I had recently ordered Vhan and Vince to return to the organization and check on the situation at the main headquarters.
The report they brought back was considerably more interesting than I had expected.
The organization had grown rapidly.
The Black Roses and the Seven Crowns had continued recruiting children around our age from various circumstances, and after receiving my permission, they had begun bestowing Eclipse upon those who were deemed suitable.
Some awakened abilities that were merely useful.
Others were considerably more talented.
A few had demonstrated potential close to the Seven Crowns themselves.
And then there were the Ten Reapers.
Their level of talent had already proven that extraordinary individuals could emerge from the people the world had simply overlooked.
Because of this, the number of members had increased dramatically.
The organization’s total number had now reached 223.
The organization itself was growing.
Even the main headquarters had become too small.
New buildings and training grounds were being constructed, and several sections of the base had already been expanded to accommodate the newcomers.
As for the newly recruited members, officers had been assigned to oversee them, handling their training, daily activities, and integration into the organization.
That was also the reason I had ordered Vhan and Vince to return.
The Black Roses and the Crowns had requested that they take command and oversee the situation while the organization continued expanding.
I didn’t particularly understand why they had asked for them specifically.
But if they believed it was necessary, I had no reason to refuse.
After all, I had already given them permission to proceed.
The organization was growing faster than I had anticipated.
And yet, from my perspective, nothing had really changed.
I was still sitting inside a classroom, listening to a lecture like every other student.
Which was exactly how things should be.
The less attention I attracted, the better.
After all, the organization could continue growing in the shadows without me.
The academy’s training grounds were considerably livelier than the classrooms.
Students from different sections had gathered across the wide field, making use of the free time before their next lesson. Some were sitting beneath the trees while talking with their friends, while others had gathered around the practice grounds to watch their classmates spar.
A few groups of girls were chatting near the benches, occasionally glancing toward the students practicing with wooden swords. Elsewhere, students were testing their magic, practicing their footwork, or simply resting after finishing their training.
The academy uniforms were designed to be both formal and practical. The boys wore dark fitted jackets over white shirts and matching trousers, with the academy crest embroidered over the chest. The girls wore the same style of jacket, paired with either a skirt or trousers depending on their preference. It was a simple design, but the quality of the fabric made it obvious that this was an academy for nobles and talented commoners alike.
I was sitting on one of the benches when someone approached from behind.
"Ares, you’re here."
I looked over my shoulder and found Rhal standing there, his unusually short red hair making him easy to recognize even from a distance.
He dropped himself onto the bench beside me.
"How’s your day been?"
"Pretty much the same as every other day. Classes, training, then more classes. I was starting to think the academy was trying to make sure we never had enough free time to breathe."
Rhal laughed.
"That’s exactly how I feel. I swear, by the time I get home, I don’t even want to look at another book."
"You’d probably complain even if they gave you less work."
"Of course I would. That’s what complaining is for."
I chuckled.
Rhal leaned back against the bench and looked across the training grounds.
"Sometimes I wonder what it’s like to live as a noble. It must be nice. If I were one, I wouldn’t have to worry about finding a job after graduation. I’d just go home, eat whatever I wanted, and spend the rest of my day doing absolutely nothing."
"You’d probably get bored after a week."
"Maybe, but at least I’d be bored in a mansion."
"Fair enough."
Rhal laughed again before suddenly looking at me.
"You’re the son of Count D’Averon, aren’t you? I’ve heard quite a bit about your father. They say he’s one of the kingdom’s strongest magic swordsmen."
"That’s what people say."
"Man, your father sounds incredible. I thought you’d inherit some of that talent from him. You haven’t shown much during our training, though."
"I’m still working on it."
I gave him a casual smile.
Rhal stared at me for a moment before shaking his head.
"You’re way too relaxed about it. If my father were that famous, I’d be bragging about him every chance I got."
"That’s probably why your father isn’t famous."
"Oi, what’s that supposed to mean?"
I laughed as Rhal lightly shoved my shoulder.
He’s a noisy guy.
But he’s entertaining enough to keep around.
After a moment, Rhal suddenly lowered his voice.
"Anyway, have you heard about what happened in the slums?"
"What happened?"
"You really haven’t heard?"
"No. I’ve been spending most of my time studying."
"Seriously? Then you’re going to want to hear this."
Rhal glanced around before continuing.
"Apparently, there’s some kind of secret organization hiding in the slums. People have been disappearing around the area, and there’s a rumor that they’re conducting experiments on humans somewhere beneath the city."
"An organization?"
"Yeah. Nobody knows exactly who they are, but some people are calling them a laboratory."
A laboratory?
Could it be connected to the one we’ve been investigating?
I kept my expression unchanged.
"That’s quite a rumor. Did anyone actually see this organization?"
"That’s the problem. Nobody seems to know anything for certain. One person says they saw suspicious people entering an abandoned building, another claims they heard screams from underground, and before you know it, everyone is calling it a secret laboratory."
Rhal shrugged.
"Still, there might be something to it. There are all kinds of people across the continent, after all."
"That’s true. So what happened afterward?"
"Apparently, someone found the place before the authorities could investigate it."
His expression became more serious.
"The entire group was slaughtered."
I turned toward him.
"All of them?"
"That’s what they say. And judging from the condition of the bodies, whoever attacked them wasn’t an ordinary fighter. Some of the corpses had been cut apart so badly that the investigators couldn’t even determine exactly what kind of weapon had been used."
Rhal rubbed his arms.
"Just thinking about it gives me chills."
"That’s certainly disturbing."
I had heard enough.
If the rumor was connected to the laboratory, then someone had already reached them.
The question was who.
Rhal seemed to have had enough of the gloomy subject because he suddenly changed the topic.
"Anyway, tomorrow’s our practical exam, right?"
"That’s right. We finally get to leave the classroom."
"Don’t say that like you’re excited about it."
"Aren’t you?"
"Not when the place they’re sending us is a dungeon."
He sighed dramatically.
"For the practical exam, we’re being divided into groups and sent into the lower floors of the capital’s dungeon. The monsters down there aren’t supposed to be particularly strong, but we’ll still be graded based on how well we handle ourselves, including how many monsters our group manages to defeat."
"Sounds simple enough."
"Easy for you to say."
Rhal looked at me.
"Which group did you get assigned to?"
"Charlie’s."
His expression immediately changed.
"Seriously? You’re with Charlie’s group?"
"Apparently."
"Man, you’re lucky. That’s one of the strongest groups in our year."
Rhal looked genuinely envious.
"What about your group?"
He groaned.
"Don’t remind me. We’ve got one strong fighter, and unfortunately for me, she’s a woman."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately?"
"You don’t understand. She’s been scolding me ever since we were assigned together. Every time I make a mistake, she gives me a lecture."
"Maybe you should stop making mistakes."
"Whose side are you on?"
"Yours, obviously. I’m just saying that she might have a point."
Rhal stared at me for a moment before sighing.
"You’re supposed to comfort me, not make me feel worse."
I laughed.
"Sorry."
"You don’t look sorry at all."
"I’ll try harder next time."
Rhal shook his head, though he was smiling as well.
"At least wish me luck tomorrow. I’m starting to think surviving my own teammates will be harder than surviving the dungeon."
"Good luck, then."
"That’s all?"
"What else do you want?"
"Something encouraging."
I thought about it for a moment.
"Try not to die."
Rhal stared at me.
"...You’re terrible at encouragement."
"Yet you’re still asking me for it."
"Because somehow talking to you makes me feel better."
"Then I suppose it’s working."
Rhal laughed and leaned back against the bench.
For someone who claimed he was worried about tomorrow’s exam, he seemed to have recovered rather quickly.